Searching for the Truth
by Torie46
Summary: Based off the new Mandie movie that just came out on DVD a month ago. Mandie didn't have a cousin in the movie or books, but in this AU this cousin, Alexandra Shaw, shares all of Mandie's adventures with her.
1. Prologue and A New Home

Searching for the Truth

**Summary: I always loved the "Mandie" series by Lois Gladys Leppard. The story and the ones following are a combination of the books and the new movie line that have and are going to be released to DVD. The history of it is that Mandie does have a mother and her Uncle John, who is also her stepfather. This story is about Uncle John having a family before he married Mandie's mother and how he lost his family. This is also a story about how his daughter, Alexandra, finds her way back to him and finds friendship and the family she always wanted with her cousin, Mandie and Mandie's friends. It's an AU from the series and the movie that just came out. For those of you who haven't read the Mandie series I highly recommend them. They can be found at Christian bookstores and the first movie can be found at Wal-mart or a Christian bookstore.**

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**Prologue**

John Shaw stared at the note in amazement. It had been 14 years since he had heard anything about his brother. He and Jim had had a falling out since Jim married Elizabeth, knowing full well that John loved her too. When Jim's marriage had been annulled and John had heard that Elizabeth and the baby she carried had died Jim had never come back again.

In the past 14 years John had found love himself. His wife, Laura, had died in childbirth as well, but his daughter, Alexandra, had lived. Alexandra had the definition of her mother's cheeks and nose. The rest of her looks was her father's. She had his wavy brownish red hair and dark eyes. The dark eyes revealed the Cherokee blood from her grandmother on his side. He and Jim had both gotten certain Cherokee features and John had passed them on to his daughter. If Jim's baby had lived she would have had Cherokee features too.

John had no idea if Alexandra still had his features or not. When she was three someone had stolen her from the front yard in front of the mansion. John had spent nearly a fortune trying to look for his baby, but to no avail. She was lost and John had no idea where to find her.

At least now he knew about Jim. He had hired a private detective a few weeks before. Since he was getting ready to go to Europe he had to know Jim was all right. If something should happen to him Jim would have the fortune that he would have given to his Alexandra.

He almost dreaded having to leave. The detectives were keeping him posted also about Alexandra along with his lawyer, Ed Wilson. Maybe now they would find her since Alexandra was 11 years old.

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Chapter 1- **A New Home**

Alexandra Rocklin walked along the red dirt path on her way to school. Winter was coming to an end and today felt like one of the days that liked to tease anyone into thinking that it was spring.

Alexandra adjusted the scarf around her slender neck. Her father often teased her by saying her neck was like a swan's and made her look dignified. Her warm, dark eyes mellowed the graceful look by making her look like the 11 years' old that she was.

Her brown hair was pulled back into a braid. It had looked reddish when she was younger, but it had darkened considerably when she had gotten older. She went up to the school and opened the door quietly.

"Alexandra!" Miss. Turnbough exclaimed as Alexandra entered with a smile and sat down in her seat.

"I hope you don't mind that I'm early. I have a history test to study for," Alexandra said, opening her book in front of her.

"Of course not, Alex. You are stumbling through the history. You study it as much as you need to. I know how much you try," Miss Turnbough said as she left the room to go outside.

That was more or less the truth. For some reason history was hard for her to grasp along with fractions, but she did try very hard. It wasn't easy when her father could get the facts, but she felt like a pariah because she wasn't smart like Pa or Ma.

Her father acted like he loved her, but for some reason, when she couldn't get the facts he'd yell at her because she couldn't get facts like he could. It was at times like this that she felt like they weren't even related.

Alex heard the door to the school open and close behind her as the students tromped in and sat down. She put away her history book and pulled out her pencil and notebook.

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Alex felt relief. She had stayed until the teacher finished grading the tests. She had made a B+ on her history. She had only missed two questions that dealt with constitutional history. It was enough of a grade to placate her father from getting upset.

Alex walked down the road to home. Red Clay, Tennessee was a beautiful location to live in. The red dirt of the place was what gave it its name and was a torment when her mother had to wash clothes. Alex had a deep fondness for this place since she moved here when she was 5 with her father and mother from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Before Chattanooga her father had said she was born in Franklin, North Carolina where they had adopted her when her mother and father had died.

She didn't really remember any deaths, but she did remember a huge house, a large black woman who sang her to sleep at night with old spirituals, and a man with eyes like hers and wavy reddish brown hair like hers had once been before the sun darkened it.

Alex stepped in front of the two-story house she and her parents lived in with her three younger brothers and sisters. She also had two older brothers, but they had moved out years ago and had their own families. They only came home every Thanksgiving and Christmas to eat Mama's fried pies and chicken and dumplings.

Alex looked up as a horse whickered. A buggy was in front of the house and it didn't look like either brother's buggy. It looked too fancy and its horses didn't look like farm horses. They looked like the kind that a rich man drove.

Alex walked into the kitchen and a total silence met her ears as her ma and pa and a man she didn't know went completely silent. The man was dressed in a fancy suit. It was more fancy than her pa's Sunday clothes.

"Alex, this is Mr. Lyleton," Ma said, swiping at her cheeks. It was then Alex noticed that her mother was crying.

"What's wrong, Mama?" Alex asked, concern filling her. Mama never cried unless something had truly broken her heart.

"Child, I am a detective. How much do you know of your adoption when you were three?" Mr. Lyleton asked.

"Only that both my parents died when I was small and Mama and Pa adopted me and we moved to Chattanooga," Alex asked, a puzzled look on her face.

"I'm afraid you have been lied to if you believe that story. Your given name is not Alexandra Jane Rocklin. Your full name is Alexandra Talitha Shaw. You were born in Franklin, North Carolina. But you were stolen out of your front yard when you were three. Your father, John Shaw, is still very much alive and is looking for you," Mr. Lyleton said.

Alex felt an icy chill in her chest and her eyes felt heavy with unshed tears. Her father was alive? "How is that possible?" Alex asked her tongue thick in her mouth.

"I don't know what lie you were told, but your father hired me to find you and bring you home. If you come peaceably then he won't press charges against the Rocklin's' for kidnapping," Mr. Lyleton said.

Alex moved mechanically through the house, feeling as if someone had hit her in the head. It was one thing to be told she was adopted and her father and mother were dead. It was another thing entirely to be told that her father was still alive and hired a detective to find her. Alex packed a small valise with her two extra dresses and a pair of boy's clothing that she wore when she did chores.

Alex slipped into her blue coat and went downstairs. Her mama and pa were talking to Mr. Lyleton. "Mr. Shaw also told me that he'd prefer that you don't make any contact with his daughter if I found her. He is right. She is his daughter and you have no claims to her. If you contact her or make an attempt to see her you will be charged with kidnapping and violating the restraining order that is in effect starting right now. Miss Shaw, I believe we should go," Mr. Lyleton said in a brusque no-nonsense voice.

Alex felt tears slip out of her eyes as she hugged her mother tightly. "Behave yourself. I love you," Mama whispered in her ear softly.

"I love you too, Mama. I'll try to come back. I promise," Alex said as she kissed her mother's wet cheek and hugged her father tightly. She walked quickly toward the buggy and looked blindly at the red dirt road. She wondered if she would ever see Red Clay again. She hoped she didn't get miserably homesick for the red earth. She hoped her father let her come back to visit.

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Alexandra looked around at the mansion in front of her. She had only seen houses this big in history books or the house in her memory; which Mr. Lyleton said was her father's house that she was looking at now. She was willing to bet the house had secret places and a ghost.

Most houses this big had one or the other. Her real father, John Shaw, had to be ostentatious to live in a place like this. No one would be this wasteful with money unless they had a good reason. Since Pa had been the one to have stolen her when she was small she had lived in less than gaudy accommodations.

Mr. Lyleton knocked on the huge oak door and rang a bell that sounded somewhere in the house. A tall, slim black girl answered it. "May I help you, Sir?" The girl asked. She had to be 5 or 6 years older than Alex.

"I'm looking for Mr. John Shaw," the detective said in a businesslike tone.

"He ain't here, Sir. Mr. John has gone to Europe for the summer," the girl said apologetically as she looked briefly at Alex.

"I see. Well, Mr. Shaw hired me to look for his daughter, Alexandra Shaw. This girl right here," Mr. Lyleton said, shoving Alex forward. The black girl gasped visibly as she looked into Alex's dark eyes.

"Y'all come on in. Mr. Bond would wanna see her," the girl said in a shaky voice. She led them into the house and into an expansive parlor that had objects in it that probably cost more than the land in Red Clay. Alex's house could have fit in her father's parlor.

Alex's dark eyes took in everything as they looked around. Yep, John Shaw was definitely rich. Alex didn't know if she could handle this house and someone this rich.

A balding man with spectacles came into the parlor followed by a black woman that Alex guessed to be the housekeeper. "May I help you, Sir?" The man asked, looking first at Alex and then Mr. Lyleton.

"I am Theodore Lyleton. Mr. John Shaw hired me a month ago to find his 11-year-old daughter, Alexandra Talitha Shaw," Mr. Lyleton said, pushing Alex forward.

"I'm Jason Bond; the estate keeper. I'm afraid Mr. John is not here. He's gone to Europe for the summer. He did tell me that he hired you to find Miss Alexandra," Mr. Bond said, looking at Alex/

Alex felt as if she were in a glass jar as the man and woman looked at her. The woman's dark eyes glistened as her eyes met hers. "It's her! I'd know this child anywhere. I was the one who took care of her after her poor, sweet mama died," the woman said, taking Alex in her arms and hugging her so tight that Alex could hardly breathe.

"She does have the shape of her mother's face and her stature, but you have your father's hair color and your Indian grandmother's eyes. You look a lot like your father when he was 11," Mr. Bond said, cocking his head.

"So I take it this is her?" Mr. Lyleton said, reminding everyone that he was even in the room.

"Yes, Mr. Lyleton. Mr. John told me that if you came by that I was to pay you whether you found her our not for your time," Mr. Bond said, walking to an ornate paneled desk and taking out a huge wad of bills.

After paying the detective and he left Mr. Bond and the woman looked at Alex in awkward silence.

"So when is he coming back?" Alex asked, her voice sounding hollow. For some reason she couldn't call John Shaw "Father" or what she called him before she was kidnapped.

"Your papa didn't tell us. He'll be back before fall, but we don't know when," the woman said apologetically as she stroked Alex's hair as if it belonged to her.

"I think the first thing you need is a bath, Miss Alexandra. Then, Aunt Lou, we need to feed her and get her some new clothes. Unless you want to take a nap first before you eat?" Mr. Bond asked.

"I am a little tired. It's quite a ways from Red Clay, Tennessee to here," Alex admitted, trying to stifle a yawn and rubbing her eyes.

"I think a bath and a nap would be first, Mr. Jason," Aunt Lou said, taking Alex by the shoulders.

"Very well. I'll see you for dinner, Miss Alexandra," Mr. Bond said as Aunt Lou led her out of the parlor.

"Now we'll get you upstairs and into the bathtub and then into bed, Miss Alexandra," Aunt Lou said as they walked upstairs.

"You don't have to call me by my full name, Ma'am. Most folks call me Alex for short since my name is so long," Alex said shyly.

"Alex? Mr. John might have something to say about that. He gave you your name. He may not agree with you having that name," Aunt Lou said as she led Alex to a room that had green and gold silk walls and a white wadded silk quilt.

"Is this my room?" Alex asked in amazement as she stared at all the elaborate furnishings.

"It is. Your father moved you in here when you got too big for the nursery when you were two. Now the bathroom is over there. I'll send Liza in here to help you wash your hair," Aunt Lou said, touching Alex's hair gently.

Alex sat down on a flowered silk chair and fell asleep in a matter of minutes. She would have stayed like that if the young girl who had answered the door didn't come in and wake her up.

"Miss Alexandra, time to wake up," Liza said, touching Alex's thin shoulder. Alex groaned and blinked her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Miss. But we gotta get you all clean and into the bed. Then you can sleep," Liza apologized with a smile.

"Liza, I'd just as soon go to sleep," Alex said as Liza took her into an ornate room that had a huge basin full of water that was big enough for a person to get in. Alex undressed and got into the warm water. The water and bubbles in the tub was warm and soft and felt like the silk chair she had just gotten up from. The smell of the water and bubbles was like the lavender sachets her mother made and put in the bureaus at home.

Liza carefully washed Alex's hair and the bath was finished in no time at all. Before Alex knew it she was wearing a comfortable silk robe that Liza said Mr. John had put in here. It had belonged to Alex's mother and he hadn't been able to get rid of it. Liza had her in front of the vanity as she combed out Alex's brown hair and dried it.

"There! No you can sleep," Liza said turning down the quilt and sheets. Alex laid down and was asleep before her head even hit the pillow. Liza covered her and quietly tiptoed out of the room.


	2. Tragic News and a New Cousin

Chapter 2- Tragic News and a New Cousin

Alex woke up bleary-eyed as Liza shook her awake. "Miss Alexandra, time to eat," Liza said as she took a clean dress out of Alex's valise and helped Alex put it on.

"Miss Alexandra, Aunt Lou asked me to take you to the sewing room as soon as you eat. We got to make you look and dress like Mr. John always wanted you to," Liza said as they went to the stairs.

"Liza, what is my father like?" Alex asked. She hadn't really asked Mr. Lyleton that question since her heart felt the pain of leaving Red Clay. Also it made her wonder what to call him. She didn't remember what she called him when she was little.

"He looks a lot like you. You and your daddy both have dark eyes. You also have a serious look that your daddy gets when he's thinkin.' Your daddy is gonna be so happy when he gets home and realizes you are here!" Liza exclaimed, practically dancing.

"Liza, I don't really remember him. Does he still want me?" Alex asked nervously.

" 'Course he does. He spent a fortune every year just lookin' for ya. I can't imagine the look on his face when Mr. Jason writes him to say you're alive and home. He gonna be jumpin' for joy to know you'se alive, Miss Alexandra," Liza said exuberantly.

"Liza, you don't have to call me by my full name. 'Most everyone calls me Alex," Alex said timidly. Aunt Lou didn't like the nickname, but she'd rather hear Alex than her full name. Nobody ever used her full name unless they were angry at her. She wondered if she could ask her father to call her Alex or if he even would.

Aunt Lou had said he might object to her nickname, but there was a chance that he wouldn't. Liza opened the dining room door. Mr. Bond was at a long table loaded with food and dishes.

Well, I trust you are hungry, Miss Alexandra," Mr. Bond said standing up as Liza pulled out a chair to Mr. Bond's right for Alex.

"A little," Alex said, unfolding a fat linen napkin with crystal silverware while Aunt Lou prepared a plate and set it before her. Mr. Bond prayed over the meal and they started to eat.

"Now, do you like your room, Miss Alexandra?" Mr. Bond asked.

"It's very comfortable. Did you write my father?" Alex asked, taking a bite of fried apple.

"I sent a telegram. He should get it when he arrives in Europe. He might decide to turn around and come back once he reads it and realizes you are home," Mr. Bond said with a smile.

"How long does it take to get to Europe?" Alex wanted to know.

"Almost three weeks. Your father left two days ago so it'll give you time to get used to being a Shaw. You'll have a month if he decides to come home to figure out how to be his daughter and even what to call him," Mr. Bond said as Aunt Lou and Liza served tea.

"Do you think he might object to my nickname? A lot of people call me Alex," Alex said nervously.

"Just ask him. He might be open to the idea of wanting to call you by a nickname. He never called your Uncle Jim James when they were growing up," Mr. Bond said as a fat young boy about 13 or 14 came into the dining room.

"Mr. Bond, this came for you," the boy said, handing him an envelope. Mr. Bond opened it with a small knife. His face changed in a matter of seconds.

"Mr. Bond, are you all right?" Alex asked, touching Mr. Bond's hand. The older man looked at her with a stricken look.

"It's…it's your father, Miss Alexandra. This says…it says that his ship to Europe is lost. It went…it sank in the middle of a storm and they haven't found any survivors," Jason Bond stumbled over the words thickly.

Alex felt stunned. She had just arrived and now her real father was dead? Did that mean she could go back to Red Clay?

"Does that mean I could go back to Red Clay?" Alex asked, feeling hope at the idea coming to her. It hadn't been her idea to come here in the first place. Sure, she was sorry that her father had died, but she hadn't known him. He was a stranger.

"No. As far as we know you and your Uncle Jim are your father's next of kin. I think he has a few distant Cherokee cousins and a few Shaw relatives in Virginia, but you and your uncle are the only close relations as you are his daughter and Jim is his brother. The two of you might be in his will. He may have put you in there in the hope that you would come back. He wanted you taken care of if anything should happen to him," Mr. Bond said, deflating her hope of going home.

"What does a will look like anyways?" Alex asked, cocking her head.

"You've never seen one, have you?" Mr. Bond asked. Alex shook her head in the negative.

"No. I've heard of them, but I've never seen one," Alex said.

**(A/N: This is the explanation Mr. Bond gives in the book. This story is mostly going to be the movie with bits and pieces added from the book) **"Miss Alexandra, it's a paper, a legal paper, stating who is to receive what of the inheritance when a person dies. Your father had lots of money and property and someone will get all that, depending on who is mentioned in his will. You could be a legal heir to his fortune if your uncle doesn't claim his part. It could all go to you since you are his daughter," Mr. Bond explained simply.

"Well then, where is it?" Alex asked.

"I don't know. Your father had a lot of secrets and he never told me where he put it after him and his lawyer, Ed Wilson, drew it up. I will wire Ed Wilson though and tell him we found you and you're here. He may be able to advise us in the search for it," Mr. Bond said as Aunt Lou brought in dessert.

Alex hoped Mr. Bond was right and her father had had the foresight to include her in the will. If not she would have to locate her Uncle Jim, wherever he was.

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Two days later Alex sat in her father's parlor with a book of poetry while Samuel, the fat boy who had given the telegram to Mr. Bond, painted a picture of the parlor. He had been secretive about how the painting looked and wouldn't even let Alex look at it since it wasn't done.

Alex had never cared much for painting a picture. She liked looking at them though. So his refusal to let her look was a disappointment; a small disappointment. At least she had books here. She liked books better than art and that helped her get over the disappointment of not seeing the painting. She had looked around after Aunt Lou had fit her for a dress and discovered her father's library; which later Mr. Bond said was now hers and a lot of the books were her mother's books which she could read if she wanted to. She had picked out a book by Elizabeth Barrett Browning that her father had given to her mother on her 21st birthday and was enjoying it when someone knocked on the door rather hard.

She saw Liza rush past just to answer. She opened the door. "What in heaven's blue blazes are you?" Liza asked in exclamation.

"Where's Uncle John?" Alex heard a young girl's voice as hurriedly. Whatever Liza said Alex didn't hear. She heard footsteps come to the foyer.

"Stay put right here," Liza ordered.

Alex looked up in surprise as a young girl with messy, dirty blonde hair and an ugly dirty blue dress entered the parlor. She looked about a year older than Alex. "Are you Uncle John?" Alex heard the girl ask. It took a minute for Alex to realize the girl meant Alex's father and that she was addressing Samuel who was by his painting in the upper part of the parlor. Samuel leaned his arms on the balcony as he looked at the girl.

"Are you an angel like Miss Alex?" Samuel asked, causing Alex to blush. "I am Samuel, an artist. And you and Miss Alex are my painting, the painting. Perfect," Samuel said as the girl walked in.

She started as she noticed Alex. "I'm Alexandra Rock- I mean Alexandra Shaw. Alex, for short Are you looking for my father, John Shaw?" Alex asked, standing up and almost using her old last name. Mr. Bond had said that she had to get used to introducing herself as Alexandra Shaw again. But it was easier said than done.

Before the girl could respond Mr. Bond and Aunt Lou came into the room. "Hello," the girl said.

"Hello," Mr. Bond said, looking between the girl and Alex.

"You don't look a thing like my father," the girl said, looking at Mr. Bond puzzled.

"Well, I should think not. But then neither do you, except for the eyes. You and your cousin, Alexandra, both have your father's eyes which he got from your grandmother. I'm Jason Bond, the estate keeper," Mr. Bond said, shaking the girl's hand.

"Where's Uncle John?" The girl asked.

"Where's your father?" Mr. Bond evaded the question.

"You knew him?" The girl asked in a small voice.

"Knew him?" Jason asked in surprise. The girl then started to cry.

"No. Oh. Come right here. Right here," Aunt Lou said in a comforting tone as she took the sobbing girl into her arms. It was much like it was when Alex had arrived. Aunt Lou had held her the same way.

"Where's Uncle John?" The girl sobbed.

"John Shaw took a boat for Europe not long ago. And this week we received a message. There's been a terrible storm," Mr. Bond said. The girl sobbed quietly against Aunt Lou's shoulder.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Child. So sorry," Aunt Lou said. "That's right, let it out. Them tears need to see the light of day, yes they do. I'm so sorry."

"Do you have a mother?" Mr. Bond asked in concern.

"The kind that wouldn't care if she never saw me again," the girl said bitterly through her tears.

"What's your name, pudding cakes?" Aunt Lou asked.

"Mandie," the girl said, sounding as if she were going to cry again.

"Hi, Mandie. I guess I'm your cousin," Alex said, touching Mandie's shoulder gently as if she were one of her little sisters that she had to leave behind in Red Clay. Mandie gave Alex a weak, watery smile.

"Liza, Miss Mandie needs something hot going right away. Should be some leftover biscuits, ham, and some baked apples to start," Aunt Lou said to the maid.

"It's what we had for breakfast. I hope you're hungry. The food is really good here," Alex said with a grin. Mandie looked as if she needed a friend. The lost, scared look on her face was evident of that. It was the same feelings that Alex had felt when she had arrived at her father's house as well. Also, like Alex, Mandie's father had to have died; if the tears were any indication. And recently. Apparently Mandie's mother didn't care for her at all if what Mandie said was true.

"A little bit," Mandie said; her first words to her cousin.

"Liza, go fix up the food. Me and Miss Alexandra will bring her to the dining room," Aunt Lou ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am," Liza said, starting to leave the parlor.

"And she should have a bath," Mr. Bond called after Liza, causing the maid to stop.

"I'm too tired to haul any water," Mandie said wearily. Alex grinned. After this moment Mandie was going to feel as if she had died and gone to Heaven. It was like Alex had felt when she had first taken a bath.

"Child, pipes haul our water," Aunt Lou said gently.

"Samuel, run a hot bath in the French room. Miss Alexandra, could you give your cousin one of your dresses until Aunt Lou gets her some new clothes or cleans that one up?" Mr. Bond asked, turning to look at Alex.

"Sure. We both look about the same height," Alex said. Mandie was only a little taller than Alex, but not by much so Alex's clothes should fit her. Aunt Lou was trying to finish Alex's first dress. Now she would have to make one for Mandie too.

"And anything for the Angel, Sir," Samuel said, causing Mandie to blush. A hysterical look entered Mandie's eyes.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I have nobody! I am nobody!" Mandie said, pulling out of Aunt Lou's arms. "I'm just some runaway dirtying up your mansion."

"Stuffin' nonsense, Miss Mandie. Having nobody don't equate to being nobody," Aunt Lou said.

"She's right, Cousin Mandie. And you do have somebody; Me. You are my cousin and you can stay here and be my friend," Alex said, wrapping her arm around Mandie's shoulder.

"Miss Alexandra does need a friend her age around here. A young girl shouldn't have to have just adults around here," Mr. Bond said

"Liza, I'll finish the cooking. You and Miss Alexandra take her on up and see if you can salvage any hair out of this here rat nest," Aunt Lou said. Liza and Alex grabbed Mandie's arms and led her to the stairs.

Alex smelled something awful at that moment. She had a feeling it was her cousin. Wherever Mandie had been it was some place that smelled awful. It gave her the idea of the hog waller that her adoptive father had on his farm and she hoped that her cousin hadn't been sleeping with pigs.


	3. Becoming Friends and Finding the Heart

Chapter Three- Becoming Friends and Finding the Heart

Alex walked into the room Liza had taken Mandie to with a dress and clean underclothes for her cousin to wear as Aunt Lou washed her dress. Mandie was seated at a vanity, wearing a robe of Aunt Lou's, while Liza brushed her blonde hair.

"You smell better, Cousin. How do you feel?" Alex asked, sitting on a chair that was next to Mandie's vanity.

"All right, I guess. Are those for me?" Mandie asked, looking at the cinnamon-colored dress and underclothes in Alex's arms.

"Yep. I hope they fit. You're only a little taller than me so they probably should," Alex said as Liza took the clothes from her.

"So, are you really my cousin?" Mandie asked as she dressed and Liza put a ribbon Alex had provided into Mandie's hair.

"My last name is Shaw and you called my father Uncle John," Alex said as a huge white cat ambled up to Mandie, meowing loudly. Mandie picked up the cat and he nudged her face with his furry head.

"What was Uncle John like?" Mandie asked as Alex and Liza pulled Mandie up by the arms, causing her to drop the cat as they led her downstairs.

"I don't know. I have just recently come back here. I never knew him or my mother. Aunt Lou said she died in childbirth," Alex said, feeling tears come to her eyes. It made her sad to think that she'd lost her parents before she could even know them.

"How is that possible?" Mandie asked perplexed.

"I was kidnapped. My father hired a detective before he left for Europe and he found me living in Tennessee. He brought me here two days after my father left. And I found out he died the next day. So I'm in the same boat as you, but we're cousins and you never have to go back to your mother ever again if you don't want to. You can stay here with me and be my best friend ever," Alex said her sadness giving way to the fact that she now had a family member close to her age living with her. This was better than Christmas and shooting off firecrackers on the Fourth of July combined.

They led Mandie into the large dining room where a place was set. Alex sat in a chair next to her cousin. "Ain't you eatin' too, Miss Alex?" Liza asked.

"Nope. I'm not hungry. Just bring me a cup of tea, Liza," Alex said as her cousin started to shovel in food as if she was half starved. Apparently it had been awhile since she had last eaten.

"So do I call you Alex or Alexandra?" Mandie asked between bites.

"I prefer Alex. If you call me Alex, I'll call you Mandie," Alex said as Liza served the tea.

Mandie smiled. "Okay. Alex it is then," Mandie said as Liza gave her the bread pudding that had been served for breakfast.

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Aunt Lou opened the door gently to Miss Mandie's room. Miss Mandie was asleep in one bed while Miss Alexandra slept on a cot next to the bed; Miss Mandie's white cat, Snowball, asleep on Miss Alexandra's feet.

"May the good Lord bless your dreams, Children," Aunt Lou whispered, waking both children. Miss Alexandra sat up, disrupting the cat.

"Aunt Lou, do you have any family, children?" Miss Mandie asked, laying on her back.

"I have four and I suspect they's all getting reacquainted with your fathers right about now," Aunt Lou said as she and Miss Alexandra sat on the bed next to Miss Mandie.

"All four?" Miss Mandie asked in a small voice. Aunt Lou nodded.

"We're so sorry, Aunt Lou," Miss Alexandra said, taking the housekeeper's rough hand in hers. With her other hand Aunt Lou smoothed Miss Mandie's face gently and then Miss Alexandra's face.

"I ran away the night of the funeral. The running was good, kept me busy. But tomorrow, when I wake up and my Daddy and Uncle are gone, what will I do all day?" Miss Mandie asked dejectedly.

"What you and Miss Alexandra do is you don't fight the pain of losin' your Daddies or losin' the only home you thought you had. You feel it. And I'll feel it with you and Mr. Jason Bond too. And the two of you are cousins. You can both cry together. And both of you ask the good Lord to hurt with you. He suffered as much as everybody in the whole world combined which means He'll comfort you better than any of us," Aunt Lou said gently.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not asking God for anything. I'm too mad at Him. Is that wrong?" Miss Mandie asked in a bitter tone.

"No, Child. Fact is, if you're both mad, you oughta tell Him you're mad. And keep telling Him as long as you are. And one day you might find that you ask Him to help you stop being mad," Aunt Lou said as Miss Alexandra got back into her bed and Aunt Lou tucked the blankets up to their chins.

"I'll think about it," Miss Mandie said sleepily. Aunt Lou kissed both girls foreheads and left. She heard the sounds of soft breathing as she closed the door.

Aunt Lou made her way downstairs to the library. She was going to find all of Miss Alexandra's mother's books. Miss Mandie would enjoy then as much as Miss Alexandra did.

Aunt Lou started in surprise as she saw Jason Bond standing there and flipping through a couple of books. "How in heaven's name did that child get here?" Aunt Lou asked the question that had been on her mind since Miss Mandie had come through the door.

"I have no idea," Jason said distractedly.

"I wonder how much she knows," Aunt Lou said.

"Well, as private as that family is, probably not much. And I'll tell you something, Lou, we're gonna keep our mouths shut too," Jason said, putting a book back. "I cannot find Mr. John's will."

"Can't find the will? What in tarnation are you doing wasting precious time down here for?" Aunt Lou asked in exasperated confusion.

"Because it could be anywhere," Jason said.

Aunt Loy huffed. "Mr. Jason, where do you find a man's heart?" Aunt Lou asked as if Jason were a child.

"In Miss Alexandra and her mother before her. He loved those two with all the strength and love that a father and husband had," Jason said sadly.

"But you find his heart in the same place you find his treasure. Am I right? Well, just flip it around. Because we know where his heart was after Miss Alexandra was taken and her mother died. Third floor. And the hidden places," Aunt Lou said.

"Why don't you just run right up there, Lou, and start searching?" Jason asked in amusement.

Aunt Lou shook her head. "No Sir."

"Precisely," Jason said, turning back to the books.

A flash of inspiration then hit her. "I know! Let's get Miss Mandie and Miss Alexandra to help you. What better way for Miss Alexandra to know who her father was. She might discover her father's love for her up there. And Miss Mandie needs something to do and if she knew her Daddy might be included in the will-"Aunt Lou started to say.

Jason shook his head. "No, no, no. I won't get their hopes up like that. Not until I know exactly who's in that will," Jason said, putting a book back.

"Well, there's much more possibilities when the hopes is raised," Aunt Lou said. Some how Aunt Lou knew that only Miss Alexandra and Miss Mandie could find the will. If they were anything like Mr. John and Mr. Jim they would.


	4. Welcome and Unwelcome Guests

Chapter 4- Welcome and Unwelcome Guests

Alex and Mandie woke at the same time to Snowball's loud meows. Alex had only ever been around barn cats, but her cousin's white cat had to be the loudest she had ever heard.

Mandie had also said that Snowball wasn't friendly with just anyone, but the cat had taken turns sleeping with both girls. Now he was meowing loudly and attacking Alex's feet that were covered by quilts and blankets.

Alex giggled as she sat up and rubbed Snowball's head. He nudged her had as if she were Mandie. "I guess Snowball likes you. He couldn't stand Momma or Irene. It was me or Daddy that Snowball came to," Mandie said, sitting up as well.

"Did your Momma or Irene like Snowball?" Alex asked as the cousins dressed. Mandie's dress had been cleaned so she was able to wear it instead of one of Alex's dresses.

"Not really. Momma sneezed every time Snowball came near," Mandie said as Alex buttoned the back of Mandie's dress and Mandie buttoned the back of Alex's dress.

Maybe Snowball is only friendly with people who are friendly to him and like him. My adopted Pa used to say animals know a person; who's friendly and all," Alex said as they left Mandie's room and went to the dining room; Snowball on their heels.

Alex and Mandie sat down as Mr. Bond prayed over the food and they started to eat. "You do know that hot eggs taste better than cold ones don't ya?" Liza asked humorously. Alex nearly choked on her biscuit as she saw her cousin smile and nod as she picked up her juice.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Mr. Bond asked, looking at each girl.

"Yes Sir," Alex said as Mandie nodded.

"Good," Mr. Bond said as Aunt Lou brought more biscuits. It sounded as if Mr. Bond wanted to ask something, but didn't quite know how to ask. Aunt Lou stood there as if she were waiting for him to say something.

"I, uh, was wondering if I could enlist your help," Mr. Bond said nervously.

"He's in a fix. And he really needs both of you and your Shaw way of thinking, but you best hurry," Aunt Lou said, jumping into the conversation.

"Aunt Lou, I wonder if you could bring us some honey for the biscuits," Mr. Bond said, apparently trying to do this conversation without Aunt Lou's help.

"Coming right up," Aunt Lou said, leaving the table.

"Thank you very much. Your Uncle John had a will. I have already told Miss Alexandra about it. Now it's possible, just possible that he left half of what he owned to your Daddy. The rest would go to Miss Alexandra if she was ever found," Mr. Bond said. Aunt Lou hurried over.

"Which would mean your Daddy's half would all pass to you and you would never have to go back to that Momma of yours," Aunt Lou said, to Mr. Bond's annoyance which was written all over his face.

Alex bit back a giggle as Aunt Lou looked at Mr. Bond and left in a hurry. "It's just a possibility, Alexandra, Mandie. Don't get your hopes up," Mr. Bond warned.

"Why would he leave anything to a man he wasn't speaking to? Wouldn't he have left it all to Alex?" Mandie asked, looking at Mr. Bond and then Alex.

"He didn't know if Alex would ever come back. He may have made a provision for her, but we just don't know. And also because the only legitimate relatives, on your grandfather's side, he has are in Virginia. Distant cousins. I don't think he ever met them. So you and your cousin are his only close relatives left," Mr. Bond said. The doorbell rang before Alex or Mandie could say anything.

"Ah, perfect timing," Mr. Bond said as they all stood.

Momma said it wouldn't be polite to come over before ten o'clock. But I couldn't wait a single moment longer to meet my new friends. I apologize," Alex and Mandie heard a young girl's voice say.

"I assure you Miss Mandie and Miss Alex won't mind your neglection of etiquette," Liza said properly.

Mandie and Alex followed Mr. Bond into the foyerand saw a pretty girl in an expensive pink dress with dark hair and dark eyes. She only looked a tiny bit taller than Alex.

She gasped and hugged them both tightly. "I'm Polly Cornwallis and I get to spend the next five nights with you! Momma said this past week has been nothing but rotten and I want you to know that I've got just the cheerful disposition you need to be around," Polly said in a fast, exuberant voice. Alex and Mandie both smiled at each other.

"Why not? We could always do with a new friend," Alex said as Polly scrutinized their clothes.

"Now, the first thing we must do is cajole Aunt Lou into sewing you some new clothes, because those dresses, I apologize are not fit for the trash heap," Polly said in a whisper.

"She already fit me three days ago. Cousin Mandie just hasn't had a chance yet," Alex said, feeling insulted over the dress she was wearing. Mama had worn her fingers out shortening this dress to fit Alex. At least Aunt Lou had said it nicer that Alex needed new clothes and that she had to look as if she were John Shaw's daughter instead of a poor country mouse.

"Aunt Lou can do a fitting right after lunch," Liza said eagerly.

"I love Providential timing!" Polly enthused.

"I've never had a new dress in all my life," Mandie said, an excited look on her face.

"You and Miss Alex be two deprived children. But we gonna enjoy fixing that," Liza said, wrapping her arms around Alex and Mandie. Alex looked over at Mr. Bond. He had his arms folded over his chest and he was laughing.

The doorbell rang again repeatedly as Liza ran to answer it. "Thank you, Liza," a woman's voice floated in. A woman in a red dress and black hat floated into the room, the distinct smell of perfume wafting in the air.

She stood in front of Jason Bond like an artillery captain. "Jason Bond. A pleasure to finally meet you," She said extending her hand. Before Mr. Bond could kiss it she pulled it back. "I am Miss Gaynelle Snow, John Shaw's niece," Alex and Mandie both looked at each other. Another niece? As far as her father's family went he only had one brother; Mandie's father. Unless Uncle Jim had another daughter somewhere that Mr. Bond or Mandie didn't know about. "I was, I am devastated. But since part of the inheritance will be mine I've come to offer you my assistance in helping you sort through his things," Miss Snow said, not sounding as devastated as she claimed.

"Ah hah!" Mr. Bond said, nodding his head.

"We have a cousin?" Mandie and Alex both asked confused, reminding the adults that they were still in the foyer.

"No," Mr. Bond said sharply.

"Well, I don't believe I know these beautiful young ladies," Miss Snow said as she grabbed Mandie's face and patted Alex's head.

"These beautiful young ladies are John Shaw's daughter and niece, Alexandra and Mandie," Mr. Bond said pointedly.

"Oh my sweet dears. I have always wanted more girls in the family. My mother was John's youngest sister. Grew up in Richmond, Virginia and was sent away at a very young age and died bringing me into this world. Do you think I could have a room next to my long lost cousins?" Miss Snow asked Mr. Bond as she touched each girl's face with a gloved hand.

"You know, Miss Snow, it's a peculiar thing, I don't ever remember John Shaw mentioning a sister," Mr. Bond said ominously. Miss Snow grinned apologetically and the doorbell rang again before she could answer.

"Well, ain't we just the place to be this blessed morning," Liza said sarcastically. "Just come on in." The door opened to reveal a man in his early twenties.

"Hello. My name is Bayne Locke. I am John Shaw's nephew," the man said shaking Mr. Bond's hand.

"Ah," Mr. Bond said.

"Here to claim my part-"Mr. Locke started to say as if Mr. Bond hadn't said anything.

"Of the inheritance," Mr. Bond interrupted knowingly. "Of course, of course. Well, this is just fascinating. They're coming from all over the country to claim your father's property," Mr. Bond said to Alex with false cheer.

"Sir, John Shaw's sister was my mother," Mr. Locke said. Another sister? For some reason Alex's father was suddenly getting sisters.

"Ah," Mr. Bond said.

"She died," Mr. Locke said.

"Oh," Mr. Bond said.

"In childbirth," Mr. Locke said. Apparently women in the Shaw family died in childbirth; Alex's mother included even though she had become a Shaw by marrying Alex's father.

"In what town were you born?" Mr. Bond asked suspiciously.

"Richmond, Virginia," Mr. Locke said.

"Richmond Virginia. Well, this is a coincidence. So was she," Mr. Bond said, indicating Miss Snow.

"Oh!" Miss Snow exclaimed.

"Maybe you two are twins, separated at birth perhaps," Mr. Bond said sarcastically.

"I always wanted a brother," Miss Snow said with an angelic smile.

"Oh, well I have the papers to prove it. How will we be dividing the estate?" Mr. Locke asked, changing the subject.

"Come here," Mr. Bond said. Mr. Lock came forward. "We will be dividing the estate according to the will. Which a bigger portion might go to those two girls since they are closer relations," Mr. Bond whispered.

"Oh. Good. Good, good. May I see it please?" Mr. Locke asked.

"No, no. No. Not now, not ever," Mr. Bond said firmly. A look of angry disappointment crossed Mr. Locke's face.

"Bring in my bag," Mr. Locke ordered, looking at Liza.

"Bring in your own bag. Liza, tell Aunt Lou that we're now running a free hotel. And would you please take our guests up to their rooms?" Mr. Bond asked the maid in a snide tone.

"Yes Sir," Liza said, her voice barely controlled as it shook with laughter.

"Oh and I am famished. Might I bother you to scare up a small bite from the kitchen for me?" Miss Snow asked in a trilling voice. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Yes Ma'am," Liza said.

"And I would like a full breakfast please," Mr. Locke said in an offensive tone as he looked at Mr. Bond. Mr. Bond nodded his head, knowing he had lost this one battle. Liza walked away with a put-upon air.

Mr. Bond wrapped his arms around Mandie and Alex's shoulders. "Take Polly. Go to the third floor. Be quiet," Mr. Bond ordered softly as he walked them to a door.

Alex hoped her father's will was on the third floor and that Mr. Locke and Miss Snow weren't in it. She wondered if their mothers really were her father's sisters. She would ask Mr. Bond later. He would know since it seems he had been there since her father and Mandie's father were boys. There was just something about Mr. Locke and Miss Snow that didn't sound right. Their stories just didn't ring true.


	5. Secret Passages and a Discovery

Chapter 5- Secret Passages and a Discovery

This was the first time Alex had made her way to the third floor. She had discovered the library with her mother's books, but other than that the third floor hadn't held any fascination for her.

Mandie opened a door and looked around. The second floor was dark as the windows were all shuttered. Apparently no one had thought to let the daylight in when people left their rooms for breakfast in the morning. Alex wondered who all slept on this floor. Aunt Lou had told Alex, while she was fitting her for a dress, that the servants had rooms on the first floor while her father, Mr. Bond, and whoever spent the night slept in rooms on the second floor. Also it seemed that no one, other than her father, ever used the third floor. Mandie opened a door, revealing a staircase.

Alex went up the stairs with Mandie while Polly hung back. "Perhaps I should choose fabric for your new dresses instead," Polly said nervously.

"No!" Mandie and Alex exclaimed as they ran downstairs and pulled Polly up with them. Alex, along with Polly, grabbed her long skirt. There was no point in tripping over the hem of her skirt and breaking an arm or leg. She had broken her arm that way when she was eight and she didn't care for a repeat of it.

Mandie opened a bedroom door. "That needs redecorating," Polly said in distaste as she looked at the room with a tawny greenish spread and gold pillows.

"I don't know. It looks interesting. I wonder if my mother decorated this room," Alex said, feeling as if she liked this room better than the one Aunt Lou had said was hers.

"I don't know about that. Momma said that your mother loved books and music. Mrs. Shaw had expensive first edition books that Mr. Shaw bought," Polly said as she and Alex stepped out of the room. Alex noticed that Mandie had walked to one more room at the very end of the hallway.

"Mandie, what are you doing?" Alex asked.

"Just want to see what's in here," Mandie asked, grabbing the door handle and shaking it. It was locked. Alex walked over to the room next to it and opened the door.

It was so gaudy it looked hideous. "Mandie, Polly, come here," Alex called over her shoulder. Her cousin and Polly followed Alex into the room. Mandie's face changed instantly as she looked around.

Mandie walked around the room, touching porcelain and jade artifacts on the red and green fireplace mantle. The artifacts looked Chinese since Alex had been studying Marco Polo two weeks before the detective had come. The designs of China had struck her as fascinating.

Mandie stopped in front of a trunk. When she put her had on the wall behind it, it separated in half; revealing a crawl space. Alex stooped next to her cousin and looked into the crawl space. Snowball had followed them into the room and he sniffed the floor and doors.

"What do you think? I think we should look," Alex said, pushing a lock of her light reddish brown hair back.

"I think you're right, Alex. Polly!" Mandie called. Polly came into the room and froze as she looked.

"Come on," Alex said as Polly stood there indecisively. Mandie motioned her forward.

"Help us move this," Mandie said, meaning the trunk in front of the doors. Alex, Polly, and Mandie all shoved the trunk aside and sat on their heels in front of the crawl space.

Mandie and Alex both looked at the doors and then Polly with huge grins on their faces as Mandie opened the doors as far as they would go.

Jumpin' jiminey!" Mandie exclaimed.

Alex went to go get an oil lamp. Being 1899 her father had gotten electricity, but she doubted crawl spaces had that little convenience.

"I don't think Mr. Jason meant for us to search this part of the third floor," Polly said, a fearful look on her face.

Mandie and Alex both looked at her. "Scared?" Mandie asked sarcastically. Polly nodded. Alex handed Polly the lamp and entered first.

Alex heard her cousin and Polly behind her, but the crawl space tunnel was so squeezed in that she couldn't turn around.

"Let's see where it goes," Alex heard Mandie whisper behind her. It was dark in the tunnel, except for some sunlight shining through cracks. Of course the sunlight revealed spider webs, but Alex tried not to think of that as she moved forward.

The tunnel stopped, revealing stairs and a door. Mandie grabbed the lantern from Polly and opened the door. The walls were made of solid rock and Alex could hear water dripping somewhere.

Another set of stairs led down. The bottom was shrouded in darkness and Alex felt her insides writhe as she tried to see the bottom.

"Mandie and Alex Shaw, I absolutely, positively will not descend into that black abyss unless escorted by a boy!" Polly exclaimed, choosing that moment to be stubborn.

"Honest?" Mandie asked. Polly walked away in a flounce of her pink skirts.

"Maybe we could explore what's down there without her?" Alex ventured, pushing her fear of the dark down.

"No. It can wait," Mandie said as she tried to see the bottom as well.

"Mandie! Alex!" They heard Polly's voice call them. Polly had discovered another door which she had pushed open. A bit of cloth hung over it. Pushing the cloth aside revealed a room strewn with papers on a desk and the floor.

Mandie and Alex both looked behind them as Polly explored the room. A picture of a beautiful Indian woman was on the cloth. Her clothes were Cherokee and her eyes were the same color as Alex and Mandie's. Alex was willing to bet this was their grandmother. Mr. Bond had said her grandmother was an Indian and that Alex's middle name, Talitha, was a Cherokee name when she had asked him why she hadn't heard it before. He had said that Talitha was her grandmother's name and her father had given it to her in honor of his mother.

A meow got Alex's attention. Polly hurried to the door, opening it. "Mandie, Alex, look where we are," Polly said. Mandie and Alex both looked away from the painting and Mandie removed her leather backpack she had kept with her.

"Polly, Ned gave this to me," Mandie said, touching an ornament on the pack. Alex's eyes widened. It was the same ornament that was around their grandmother's neck in the portrait!

"Who's Ned?" Alex and Polly both asked.

"My Indian friend," Mandie said.

"I don't think we should be in here any more," Polly said firmly. Polly was probably right. It also looked as if Mr. Bond had already looked around, judging by the paper mess.

Alex looked around, her eyes falling on a picture on a desk. A handsome man; a three-year-old girl in his arms, stared back at her. It took her a minute to realize she was looking at a picture of herself and her father.

There were no pictures of John Shaw downstairs, but Alex now got to see the man who had fathered her and what he looked like. "You two go ahead. I need to be alone for a minute," Alex said, keeping her voice low. She might start to cry and she didn't want anyone to see tears.

As soon as they left, Alex picked up the picture. She felt as if she knew her father. She had seen his face before in her dreams. She had thought she had only imagined John Shaw when she was little, but now she was uncertain. Alex touched her father's face through the glass.

A tear splashed onto the picture and she broke down completely. It was as if the sobs came clear from her toes as she held the picture to her chest and sat down at her father's desk.

She heard footsteps come back and she wiped her wet face furiously. Mandie and Polly came back in, a hurried look on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked as looks of relief filled their faces.

"Miss Snow was in the Oriental room and we couldn't get out," Polly explained as Mandie and Alex picked up some of the papers.

"I see. Well, I guess all we could do know is look. If we wait long enough she'll be gone, I hope," Alex said as she looked through some papers in her father's handwriting.

"I don't think Uncle John would have left it in plain sight, Alex. Something this important I would hide where not just anyone could find it," Mandie said as Alex put the papers in a trunk.

"Can't argue with that, but I think we should look everywhere. Father could have left it in here," Alex said as all three girls continued the search.

* * *

Mandie, Polly, and Alex dug through a chest pulling papers out and throwing them on the floor. Mandie and Alex examined a few things that weren't papers. Alex decided to ask Mr. Bond what they were later, when Mandie opened a small ornately carved wooden box. A small key on a leather strip was in it. Holding it up she showed it to Alex and Polly.

"Do you want it, Alex?" Mandie asked.

"Why don't you keep it? You're the one who found it," Alex said. Mandie put it around her neck as the handle on the door moved.

Alex, Polly, and Mandie looked at the door in surprise as Mandie hid the key in her dress. Polly put the papers down as Alex put the small wooden box Mandie found back in the chest. The door opened and Mr. Bond stepped inside.

He looked at all three girls in surprise and shut the door. "All I did was follow them," Polly said quickly before anyone said anything.

"Ah. Miss Alexandra, Miss Amanda, you are without a doubt Shaw relatives. Truth be told, you both are probably better equipped to find this will than I am. You could run across some other things as well. Miss Alexandra, your father had a lot of secrets," Mr. Bond said, not sounding the least bit angry.

"So did my father and I wish he hadn't," Mandie said. Alex wrapped her arm around Mandie in a comforting gesture, "Please let us search this room. We'll find it, I promise."

"All right. All right. Work fast. Stay very quiet. And whatever you do, under no circumstances allow Miss Snow or Mr. Locke to follow you. If either one of them find the will first they'll take your Daddy's or Alexandra's name off of it, do you understand?" Mr. Bond asked warningly. The three girls nodded quickly and Mr. Bond left as quickly as he entered.


	6. Fittings and Samuel's Opinions

Chapter 5- Fittings and Samuel's Opinions

Lunch was a quiet affair. They couldn't discuss the will since Mr. Locke and Miss Snow was sitting right there. It was better to say that Mr. Bond, Mr. Locke, and the three girls were quiet. Miss Snow was the only one who was talking enough for all of them.

Alex was feeling a little down. She kept stumbling across pictures and mementos of her, her father, and mother. She tried to enjoy the pot roast on the rose-floral plate in front of her, but she found another thing that had depressed her. She had discovered an unframed picture of her father and mother and had slipped it into the book she had been reading that had belonged to her mother.

Aunt Lou had said the picture had been taken as soon as her parents' engagement had been announced. Her father had been so in love with her mother and nothing was too expensive and when she wanted something he bought it.

Alex was a little more frugal than that. She never asked for anything if the Rocklin's' couldn't afford it. She had learned early not to ask for things if Mama and Pa couldn't afford it.

It felt odd now that she could afford to buy what she wanted. If the will was found and it said Mandie and Alex inherited everything, the two would be rich. But Mandie and Alex wanted something that their fathers had missed.

Something had destroyed the relationship between John and Jim Shaw. No matter how old the cousins got they had both sworn to remain best friends and remember that blood was thicker than water.

Alex finished the last carrot on her plate as Mandie and Polly finished. "Well, you remember eating with that appetite?" Miss Snow asked in a trilling voice.

"Sometimes. Mr. John and Jim had those kind of appetites when they were young," Mr. Bond said in a thoughtful tone.

"Did you three leave room for dessert? We have a nice apple crumb pie," Aunt Lou asked the three girls.

"I guess so," Alex said as Aunt Lou cut a thick wedge of pie and put it on her plate.

"Miss Alex, I found some more of your Momma's books if you want them. I put them in the library," Aunt Lou said after she had served everyone the pie.

"Thank you. Polly said Mother loved to read and listen to music," Alex said with a small smile.

"She did indeed. Your father used to tease her over her books. He said she only married him for the books and she'd laugh and say she didn't know a book that measured up to him," Mr. Bond said, laughing slightly.

"That doesn't sound like Mr. Shaw. I never saw him tease anyone," Polly said matter-of-factly.

"He was deeply hurt. He lost his brother due to a misunderstanding, his wife died bringing his baby into the world, and then he lost his baby girl after he doted on her so much. No wonder he didn't tease anyone," Mr. Bond said. Alex felt a twinge of guilt. Her father had lost his joy on her account. Apparently he had been grieving over her when he left for Europe.

"Well, me, Liza, and the girls have something to do if y'all would excuse us," Aunt Lou said with an attempt to change the subject.

The girls got up from the table and followed the servants into the sewing room on the second floor. "Now, we need a dress for everyday and a fancy one for Miss Alex. Is there any material you like for an everyday dress, Miss Alex?" Aunt Lou asked after Alex had taken off her dress and stood there shivering in her underclothes as Aunt Lou and Liza measured her for the fancy dress. Aunt Lou had said she needed to measure the arms again before she started.

Alex looked around and saw a delicate role of yellow material that looked so light and airy. "I like this one, please. I never have had a dress this color before," Alex said, picking up the role.

"Yes, that's perfect. It looks like sunshine and it'll be perfect with your reddish hair," Polly said, putting in her opinion.

Soon Mandie was being fitted after Alex put her dress back on and Polly was holding out different fabrics. Polly held up a white-flowered print. Mandie wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"Too old-ladyish," Mandie said.

Polly looked as if Mandie was right. "I agree," Polly said, putting the material down.

"Miss Polly, would you help Miss Alex and Miss Mandie pick out fabric for a fancy dress?" Aunt Lou asked. Polly looked like a little girl at Christmas at the suggestion.

"Two new dresses at one time? Momma would say that's wasteful," Mandie said, looking happy and chagrined at the same time.

All of them smiled. "Well, considering what you said about her giving new dresses to your sister and none to you, except hand-me-downs, it doesn't really matter what she thinks is wasteful, right?" Alex asked.

"I guess not," Mandie agreed. At that moment Miss Snow came in with a cry of joy.

"Ladies, why didn't you tell me we were having a sewing party? I just love making new dresses for myself. Oh yes," Miss Snow said as she looked through the bolts of fabric.

"And how many dresses do you own, Miss Snow?" Liza wanted to know.

"Oh, um, five, maybe six," Miss Snow said as she moved the fabric around. She opened a drawer and Snowball stood up. "Ah! Cats! I hate cats!" Miss Snow exclaimed, backing into a wall.

They all tried to hide their laughter as Snowball ran off. "He's gone now, Miss Snow. Not that Snowball would hurt anything," Alex said, biting her lip.

"I just love making new dresses for myself. Lovely, lovely. What beautiful fabric!" Gaynelle said, pouncing in the flowered material Mandie had rejected.

Alex looked up in time to see Bayne Locke peeking into the bedroom across the hall. Aunt Lou saw him at the same time.

"Miss Mandie, Miss Alex, we'll finish up later. Get you on outta here," Aunt Lou said quietly. Mandie put her dress back on as they ran down the hallway with Alex buttoning her down the back.

They made their way to the third floor and climbed the tiled mosaic steps. "This mansion is twice the size of ours," Polly said, a little winded.

"What's the matter, Polly? Getting tired in your old age?" Alex asked, huffing slightly.

"Look who's talking? You sound like an old boiler," Polly teased, pulling one of Alex's reddish-brown braids.

The sound of a door slamming got their attention. Mandie put her finger to her lips and they ran to the bedroom that Polly thought needed to be decorated.

They entered the room and Mandie locked the door. The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, stopping in front of the door. The handle jiggled slightly and stopped. Alex opened the door and saw Bayne Locke in front of her father's office. He twisted the knob with no success before entering the Oriental room.

The three girls looked at each other before running out the door. They ran down to the sitting room that had belonged to Alex's mother. Miss Snow was there sorting through papers on a desk. She then stuffed all the papers in a pocket on her elaborate orange dress.

"She's stealing!" Mandie whispered in shock as Miss Snow grabbed a letter opener. Alex and Polly shoved Mandie to the entrance so as not to be seen. "But she was stealing!" Mandie protested.

"I know. I'll talk to Mr. Jason later," Alex said as they left the mansion and ran toward a field with a low brick wall.

* * *

They all caught their breaths as they stood by a huge oak tree. "Now what?" Polly lamented.

"Well, we need to see that area that you don't want to, Polly. But we also need to finish searching the office. So let's go to the office and look through the papers before making that decision?" Alex said, blowing a lock of hair out of her face.

They made their way back to the office secretly and continued their search. "So what was my father like, other than rich and untidy?" Alex asked as she opened a new chest.

"Old. I used to imagine how dapper he might look if he smiled, but Momma said his heart broke when you were stolen. That it took all the joy out of him," Polly said with a grin.

"Do you know what happened between him and my father?" Mandie asked.

"I'd say only Mr. Jason knows that. He was here since the dawn of time. He said it was a misunderstanding, but I don't know what about," Polly said as Alex closed the chest.

"I don't think we're accomplishing anything. I think we need to get down that staircase. Why don't we get Samuel to help us? He is a boy," Alex suggested.

"You think he'd do it?" Mandie asked as they left the room.

"He is our only option. And he likes us, I guess, since he said he was painting you," Alex said as they ran down the backstairs.

"She is right. There are just not a lot of boys around here our age. There are five families that have money and they only have daughters our age," Polly said as they stepped out.

"Well, since you don't object I'll go get him," Alex said, running to the parlor. Samuel was in the upper level of the parlor painting an arch that had a cherub in it.

"Samuel, am I bothering you?" Alex asked.

"No, Ma'am. Did you need something?" The portly boy asked, putting his paintbrush down.

"Me and Mandie need to ask you something. Can you come outside for a few minutes?" Alex asked.

"Yes, Miss Alex," Samuel said as he followed Alex outside and to the huge oak tree. Polly was at the base and Mandie had climbed the tree as if it were nothing.

"Samuel, we're in need of your assistance!" Mandie shouted, not wasting what they wanted to ask Samuel.

"Yes, ma'am! At your and Miss Alex's service," Samuel said as soon as he got to the tree and removed his cap.

"We need a boy to go exploring with us. Can you keep a secret?" Mandie asked, brushing her blonde hair back.

"No, Ma'am. No one trusts me with anything," Samuel said.

"Oh. Well, can you keep one for me and Alex?" Mandie asked with a grin.

"Maybe. Can't make any promises though," Samuel said doubtfully. "My loud mouth tends to run faster than my brain can keep up."

"Well, do you know any boys who can keep secrets," Alex asked.

"No Ma'am, Miss Alex. Stay away from all of them," Samuel said as he turned and walked away. Mandie blew out her breath as she climbed down.

"Well, you can't say we didn't try," Alex said as they walked back to the house.

"No, but we have to figure out some way to get there," Mandie said woefully. Alex didn't know of any way unless Polly got over her fears which weren't happening at this point.


	7. A More Unwelcome Guest

Chapter 7- A More Unwelcome Guest

They finally had to stop looking for the will and go to bed. Alex fell onto her bed exhausted, while Mandie and Polly sat up in their bed, going through a magazine.

Alex fell asleep in a matter of minutes and woke to a clicking sound. She rose up to see her cousin opening and closing her locket. Mandie had said her father had given her the locket the day before he died.

Judging from the make of the jewelry it wasn't a two-dollar locket. It was the kind of locket a rich man would give if he were courting.

"Mandie, haven't you slept at all?" Alex asked, yawning widely.

"Not really. I didn't mean to wake you up, Cousin Alex," Mandie apologized.

"It's okay. It's almost dawn anyway. We have to find the will. Mr. Locke or Miss Snow might find it before we do. Mandie? Mandie?" Alex asked. Mandie had this thoughtful look on her face and she started excitedly, waking Polly.

"Joe! Joe could come help us!" Mandie exclaimed.

"Is he cute?" Polly asked, causing Alex to snort. At 11 years old Alex hadn't noticed boys yet. She thought all of them were big pests so if one was good-looking she had no idea yet.

"Not that it really matters. He's a boy and he can help us look in the dark area," Alex said as Mandie got out of bed, grabbed a pen and paper, and turned on the lamp.

* * *

The sun had come up as soon as Mandie had put Joe's name on the back. A knock on the door caused them to look up. "Miss Alex, Miss Mandie, would you like to try on your new dresses?" Liza said with a big smile.

Alex and Mandie both nodded and followed Liza to the sewing room. They were almost out the door when Alex noticed something amiss. Mandie, wait! Where's Snowball?" Alex asked, her sharp dark eyes going around the room.

"Snowball? Snow?" Mandie asked in concern, looking around the room also.

"Does he wander often?" Polly asked as they left the room after searching in the closet and under the beds.

"He did at home. I just didn't think he'd do it here since it's bigger," Mandie said as they entered the sewing room Liza and Aunt Lou stood there, waiting on them.

"What's wrong?" Liza asked.

"Snowball's missing, Liza. Have you and Aunt Lou seen him?" Alex asked, looking at both women as Liza helped them take off their dresses and into two of the prettiest dresses either girl had ever seen and worn.

Aunt Lou shook her head in the negative. "Nope, but I'll keep my eyes open. Now if you two ain't the prettiest girls this side of the Mississippi!" Liza exclaimed.

Alex had never worn anything this elegant and, obviously, neither had Mandie. And the colors seemed to suit them. The yellow and white brought out the reddish tints in Alex's hair while the red and white dress had made Mandie's blonde hair darker.

"This is too pretty to wear. I'll mess it up," Mandie said nervously.

"Child, that's your and Miss Alex's play dresses. Now the fancy dresses, that'll be a sight to see," Aunt Lou said in the corner where she was watching.

Polly, Alex, and Mandie grinned at each other as the doorbell rang. Liza rolled her eyes. That meant another guest. Although heaven knew where they'd put the guest.

* * *

Alex, Mandie, and Polly made their way downstairs as Liza came up them, looking flustered. Mandie had the letter to Joe in her hand.

"Liza, can you mail this?" Mandie asked, handing the letter to the servant.

'Sure can," Liza said as all of them went upstairs. The girls went to the upper level of the parlor. Some of Alex's books were up there and Alex wanted to read in the lower level of the parlor before they started the search for the will again. Mandie then froze in terror and jerked Alex and Polly down hard.

A man in a hideous brown suit and sporting a mustache was sitting in a chair below them. Something about him was repulsive and a horrible smell filled the room, going up to the upper level of the parlor.

"May I help you?" Mr. Bond's voice signaled relief. The man shot up sharply, remembering his manners.

"I expect you know who I am, so there's no need for introductions," the man said in a cocky tone.

"Quite the contrary, Sir. I have no idea who you are," Mr. Bond said, walking into the parlor.

"Ah, well who I am is who I'm gonna be, and who I'm gonna be is Amanda Shaw's father," the man said, choosing at this point to be long-winded. Mandie grimaced in disgust and squeezed Alex's and Polly's hands.

Alex looked at the man in disgust as well. Mandie's mother was going to marry this man? Apparently Mr. Bond thought the same thing too. "So you've come to claim your share of the inheritance?" Mr. Bond asked his face and voice calm.

"Ah, see. I knew you knew who I was," the man said, the good humor back as he walked away.

"What's your name?" Mr. Bond asked.

"Zachary Hughes," the man said, touching one of the pieces of artificial fruit on a teakwood table.

"And you're going to be Mandie Shaw's father?" Mr. Bond asked.

"That's what I said," Mr. Hughes said. Mr. Bond took the fruit out of his hand before Mr. Hughes could bite into it.

"But currently you are no blood relation of Miss Shaw," Mr. Bond said, putting the fruit back.

"Now what does that have to do with this conversation?" Mr. Hughes asked confused.

"Well, I wouldn't want to presume incorrectly that you're going to marry Mandie's mother?" Mr. Bond whispered.

"Well, you can presume whatever you want, but that's what I plan to do. And seeing as how Mandie is far too young to be making wise decisions for herself I'll just be taking Mandie and her inheritance home now," Mr. Hughes said, infuriating both Alex and Mr. Bond.

Alex would never allow this man to take her cousin. She had just found her cousin after losing her father and her adopted family. She wouldn't lose Mandie too.

"And how could you not send word of her safety. Her momma is fit to be tied with worry," Mr. Hughes said in an accusing tone. Alex was willing to bet that Etta Shaw hadn't worried over Mandie as much as he claimed since she had been all willing to hire Mandie out the day after her father's funeral. "Where is that girl?"

"What is that terrible smell?" Mr. Bond asked, changing the subject abruptly.

"Hmmmm?" Mr. Hughes asked confused.

"May I ask how you are employed?" Mr. Bond asked stiffly.

"I, Sir, am a purveyor of fine scented soaps, accessories, and other necessities for ladies," Mr. Hughes said, pulling out a business card.

"Ah. Soaps. Yes, of course. Ah, Mr. Hughes, follow me please," Mr. Bond said, walking to one of the glass doors that opened onto the big garden in the backyard. He opened the door and Mr. Hughes stepped outside. "Mr. Hughes, you have no blood relationship with Miss Shaw. Therefore you have no further business in this house. I bid you good day," Mr. Bond said sternly. Alex could have hugged Jason for that. He was protecting Mandie from this lowlife.

"Well, if it's blood ye be wanting, I'll just come back with her ma," Mr. Hughes threatened; a threat that fell rather flat on Mr. Bond's ears.

"If you ever want to set foot inside this house again, I advise you to find some soap that makes you smell like a man, and then use it!" Mr. Bond said, shutting the door tightly.

Mr. Bond stepped back into the parlor as the girls entered. "That man marrying my Momma?" Mandie asked, a look of revulsion on her face.

"That's what he said," Mr. Bond said.

"I think when your momma was born the doctor slapped the wrong end if she's planning to marry him," Alex said with a shudder.

"Alex, I don't want to leave," Mandie said in a small voice as Alex wrapped her arm around her.

"I know. Mr. Bond did to Mr. Hughes what I wanted to do," Alex said.

"Where does your momma live?" Mr. Bond asked.

"Charley Gap," Mandie said.

"Good. Good. It'll take Mr. Hughes a full day to get back to his bathtub. Now ladies, we have got to find this will," Mr. Bond whispered urgently. Time was more precious now that Mandie's mother and Zachary Hughes might be coming.

Alex didn't know what she'd do if they arrived, but they weren't taking Mandie without a fight. She wouldn't let Mandie go with someone who didn't care about her or her happiness.


	8. Making Music and Joe Arrives

Chapter 8- Making Music and Joe Arrives

Alex, Mandie, and Polly worked until real late as they opened the chests in John Shaw's office. Every so often Alex caught Mandie staring at the picture of Talitha Shaw and come back to the chest and move papers.

Mandie opened a small box with papers on top. Taking all the papers out, Mandie removed a framed picture which she looked at in surprise.

"Polly, Alex," Mandie said with a smile. Alex and Polly dropped what they were doing and looked at the picture.

Is this him?" Mandie asked her cousin and Polly.

"Yes. That's my father, judging from the pictures I found of him, me, and Mother," Alex said. The other man in the picture, standing next to her father, had to be Alex's Uncle Jim; Mandie's father.

"He is dapper, exactly how I imagined him," Polly said gleefully.

"They look alike," Mandie said, looking at the picture of their fathers again. In this picture they looked as close as brothers should be, but it made Alex wonder what had destroyed the close bond they had.

* * *

After looking for a long time the girls decided to stop to eat. Creeping down the servant's stairs Alex had come back with a tray that had three glasses of tea and three plates of food. Alex was the last to finish. Mandie was looking through another box while Polly was lying on the floor.

"Polly?" Alex asked, pushing her reddish hair out of her eyes as she opened a new box.

"I'm trying a new perspective," Polly said slowly as she looked at the ceiling.

"Well, it's new and different. Is it working?" Alex asked as she found a leather pouch filled with tobacco. Apparently her father smoked.

"I'll let you know," Polly said as Mandie stood.

"Maybe the will's not even in here. Maybe it's down those attic stairs," Mandie said.

"I guess. We might be off," Alex said, standing after she put the tobacco away.

"You're both welcome to go look," Polly said, still stubborn.

"You know, why don't we do something we can do? Let's go ask Mr. Bond what happened between Father and Uncle Jim," Alex said. Mandie grabbed the picture of their fathers and the three girls went downstairs.

All the adults were in the parlor when Mandie and Alex walked up to Jason. "What happened?" Mandie asked, handing the picture to him.

Mr. Bond handed his teacup to Liza and looked at the picture with a frown on his face. "Nigh inseparable, these two. You and Miss Alexandra are just like 'em. Best friends, you know, even though your father was fifteen years older than your daddy," Jason said, looking between Alex and Mandie. "And stubborn fools both of them. Fell in love with the same woman, fought over her something terrible. And parted ways. All for nothing. They both lost her. I think that's when he met your mother, Miss Alexandra. I suppose that if…if all of us had realized the rift was forever that we would have handled ourselves a little differently," Mr. Bond said sadly.

"Did my father even love my mother since he and Uncle Jim both loved the same woman?" Alex asked.

"He did, Miss Alexandra. The day she died broke his heart again. But at least he had you. He said that you were your mother's gift to him. She may have died the day you were born, but he never blamed you for that. He said it was never your fault that it happened. I never saw a more devoted husband or a father who doted on his baby like yours did," Jason said.

Alex closed her eyes briefly, willing the tears not to fall. It was enough that her father had loved her mother and Alex. Now she just wished that she could have had even a little time with him that she could remember.

"Miss Mandie, Miss Alex, do you know what them brothers loved doing together more than anything?" Aunt Lou asked, changing the subject.

"What?" Both girls asked.

"Making music. Yes Ma'am and this here house done been deprived of joyful noise for too long," Aunt Lou said. Mr. Bond looked annoyed at Aunt Lou and both Bayne and Gaynelle stood and backed away from the organ they had been examining.

"It was a mark of honor to be invited to the Shaw mansion to hear the brothers play the organ or the fiddle or the banjo. And Mr. Jason, here, well he taught 'em everything they knew. And, Miss Alex, your father wanted you to learn how to play an instrument when you got old enough," Aunt Lou said as Mr. Bond sat at the organ.

"Really? I know how to play the fiddle. My older brother, Marcus Rockln, taught me how to do it. But the organ looks difficult," Alex said, looking at the instrument.

"You are a Shaw, Miss Alex. You and Miss Mandie both can learn how to play the organ," Aunt Lou said firmly as she handed Gaynelle a songbook and Mr. Bond started playing a hymn.

Everyone started to dance and sing at the same time. "_Brightly beams our Father's mercy from his lighthouse evermore. But to us, He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore. Let the lower lights keep burning, send a beam along the wave. Some poor struggling, sinking sailor you may rescue, you may save. Dark the night, the sin has settled loud the angry billows roar. Eager eyes are watching, longing for the lights along the shore. Let the lower lights keep burning. Send a beam across the wave. Eager eyes are watching, longing for the lights along the shore,"_ They all ended the song in riotous laughter as the music ended.

Alex still wasn't sure if she could play the organ or not, but if her father played musical instruments so could she.

* * *

Lunch was quiet as the cheerful, musical attitude of the evening before had died. Mr. Bond had promised Alex that he would find her father's fiddle so she could play again. The thought made her happy since she had started to miss playing the fiddle.

"Well, if y'all ain't the quietest bunch I ever seen. What's the matter?" Liza asked after refilling cups with coffee.

"Nothing, Liza. We just can't do two things at one time. If we're going to eat, we have to eat, and if we're going to talk we just can't eat," Mandie said, poking at an egg with her fork.

"Oh, I see. Everybody must be starved to death. This is ridiculous!" Liza commented as she left with the pitcher of coffee.

"Well, I guess she's right. But if everyone's starved to death, why is everyone leaving so much food on their plates?" Mr. Bond asked, looking at the three girls.

"Don't include me in that. I eat whatever I am served," Miss Snow said in a laughing trill.

"I'm always hungry. I always eat anything I can get my hands on. Food's too good to waste," Bayne said, sounding civil for the first time since coming in the door.

"That leaves me to answer, I suppose. My stomach doesn't feel too well lately. Too much excitement around. Besides, I'm not used to so much food at one meal," Mandie said with a faint smile.

"I guess I just have more on my mind than food lately. I was thinking of that fiddle you told me belonged to my father," Alex said, eating a piece of baked apple slowly.

"Well, I think eating is a silly habit and a waste of time when you could be doing something more interesting. Therefore I only eat enough to keep from starving," Polly commented.

"Maybe the food will taste a little better at suppertime, although I didn't see anything wrong with what we just had," Mr. Bond said as the doorbell rang.

"The free hotel is full," Liza said tartly as she went to open the door.

"And the food is all ate up," Aunt Lou added, picking up a cleaning rag.

Liza came back in, followed by an older man and a boy about three or four years older than Alex.

"Joe!" Mandie exclaimed, giving him a big hug. "Hi, Dr. Woodard," Mandie said to the man, remembering her manners.

"Good to see you, Mandie. Joe said that he-"the doctor started to say before Joe nudged him. "that you missed him something terrible. Is it all right if he stays here for the next few nights while I visit patients down the mountain?" Dr. Woodard asked Jason.

Jason hesitated slightly. "Liza?" Jason asked, looking at the maid.

"We can put him in the nursery," Liza said in defeat. Alex snorted slightly. She had seen the nursery. Her old crib before her father had moved her to a regular room was still there.

"Let's show him the creek!" Mandie said excitedly.

"Maybe we'll find some crawdads," Joe said as the girls led him to the third floor. Alex hoped her cousin explained things to Joe soon and he wouldn't be disappointed over not seeing the creek.


	9. The Cherokee Room and Teasing Bayne

Chapter 9- The Cherokee Room and Teasing Mr. Locke

"I never saw a creek-"Joe started to say as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Shhh!" Mandie warned, putting her finger to her lips.

"I never saw a creek you had to go upstairs in your house to get to," Joe complained. Mandie and Alex didn't say anything as they looked at each other and then Joe before walking away. In a short amount of time the cousins had known each other they had gotten good at knowing what the other was thinking. It was almost like being twins instead of cousins.

"I'm Polly Cornwallis," Polly introduced herself.

"Joe," Joe said.

"Are you brave?" Polly asked in a sly tone. Alex rolled her eyes. Polly was scared of dark areas in the house, but to be this much of a flirt at twelve was just too much!

Joe cleared his throat nervously. " 'Course," Joe said, sounding as if he doubted his own bravery.

Joe and Polly followed Mandie and Alex to the Oriental room. "You do the honors, Cousin Alex," Mandie said as they stood in front of the trunks and doors that led to the tunnel.

Alex lit a lamp and handed it to Joe before opening the doors. All four of them were soon on their hands and knees, crawling through the tunnel. In no time at all they had reached the dark staircase.

"You first," Mandie said as all three girls looked at Joe, who was still holding the lantern.

"Me?" Joe pointed at himself.

"Of course you. My cousin said she thought you could help. Joe, it's only the dark. It can't hurt you," Alex said as the other two girls nodded.

Joe took another look down the stairs and walked down them slowly. The three girls held hands as they followed. The stairs didn't even creak as they made their way down. All Alex could hear was her racing heart and shoes on the wooden floor.

They stopped at an entrance that was covered with a piece of burlap sack. Joe looked at Mandie. She nodded and Joe moved the burlap. Below the entrance was a ladder that led into a square room that had the remains of a fire pit in it. The only light in the room were from windows high in the wall.

The four of them descended into the dark room and looked around. At a closer look Alex found an antler necklace similar to the one Mandie had on her leather pack. Against the wall a set of antlers, covered in spider webs, got Mandie's attention. She went over to it and touched it.

"Daddy told me the story a thousand times. He never said it was real," Mandie said in an upset voice.

"I'm sure he had a reason, Cousin Mandie," Alex said in a soothing tone.

"What reason, Alex?" Mandie asked.

"I don't know, but I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you by not telling the whole truth," Alex said, wrapping her arm around Mandie's shoulder as Mandie picked up a dirty, frayed wampum belt.

"Fifty Cherokees escaped the Trail of Tears and hid in here for four years never seeing the light of day," Mandie said as they walked around.

"If the army had found out they would have killed your Grandpa and everybody in here!" Polly exclaimed.

"Nobody ever found out. Apparently Grandfather Shaw was smart when he hid them. He knew how to hide them without ever giving away that he was hiding fifty fugitives," Alex said, realizing that this had to be how she and Mandie had an Indian grandmother.

"My Grandpa was in the army. He hated Indian lovers," Polly admitted.

They continued to walk around when Mandie stopped in shocked surprise. "I think me and Alex are Indians," Mandie said.

"I know that already, Mandie," Alex said with a smile as they all looked at her.

"You do? Why didn't you say anything?" Mandie asked.

"I thought Uncle Jim told you. That's why I didn't. Like you I just found out about my Indian blood, but why would Uncle Jim not tell you that? Was he ashamed of it?" Alex asked as they entered a cave from the Cherokee room.

"I don't think so. Daddy taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow and he was always hunting with Uncle Ned and the Cherokee braves," Mandie said, pulling out her own antler necklace and smiling. They reached another door, and pushing it open, found themselves in a wooded area behind the house.

There was a creek that bubbled and gurgled right in front of them. "I told you we were going to the creek," Mandie teased Joe with a smile.

"Now where do you two think the will is?" Polly asked dejectedly.

"I don't know, but this wasn't a bad find," Alex said as Joe ran to the creek. He rolled up his sleeves and started to feel around in the water.

"What ya looking for?" Polly asked.

Joe pulled out a crawdad from under a leaf. "A crawdad. Come touch it," Joe said with a smile.

Polly made a horrible face. "He won't pinch you. I promise," Mandie said with a laugh and Polly squealed. Alex laughed as Polly ran to her and shrank.

"Well, now what do we do?" Mandie asked, looking at her cousin.

"Well, since we have to hide the fact that we're looking for the will, why don't we jump in the creek and make it look like we're looking for crawdads?" Alex ventured before a full-scale water fight broke out.

* * *

They all ran to the mansion, teasing each other about how wet their clothes were. Liza met them with a stern expression on her face. Bayne was behind her.

"Next time you're late, you'll be skipping dinner," Liza said sharply as Joe hid the crawdad behind his back.

"Sorry, Liza. We-uh-"Mandie started to say as she looked at Joe.

"Searched and searched all day long and finally found a crawdad," Joe said with a contrite look on his face.

"But Polly won't touch it," Alex said in an accusing voice.

"Will you?" Joe asked, making as if he were going to pull the crawdad out from behind him.

"No," Liza admitted, backing away.

"I know good and well you have not been at a creek. I'm quite sure you poured water on yourselves, in the bathroom," Bayne said in an accusing tone as he looked at all of them.

Alex nearly choked as she saw Mandie take the crawdad out of Joe's hand. She knew what Mandie was going to do and it would serve this pretender, who claimed to be her father's nephew, right.

"Oh did we?" Mandie said, waving the crawdad in front of Bayne's face. Bayne backed away, a nervous look on his face.

"They're delicious to eat. Especially raw," Joe said, wiping his wet hand on Bayne's vest.

"Don't forget butter and salt. I could eat 12 with butter," Alex chimed in as Gaynelle entered the parlor.

"Now that's a true delicatessen," Polly said. The man croaked in fear. Miss Snow then took the crawdad out of Mandie's hand.

"Oh my! You've got yourself a real keeper! Well, I have never seen one this big! Well, she's older than you are!" Miss Snow said. The four children grinned at each other. "Honey, you can't get a good look at it unless you're holding it," Miss Snow said, putting it in Bayne's hand.

Bayne stood there like he was being tortured until the crawdad bit him. "Ow!!!!"

The four children followed Liza, nearly wilting with laughter. "I thought you said that crawdads don't bite," Polly whispered.

"They normally don't, but Mr. Locke must have been holding it wrong," Alex said as they walked down the hall.

"I do have some more rooms, but they's much too much trouble to make up. It's precious," Liza teased as she opened the ornate wooden door to the nursery.

Alex nearly choked as she looked around at the nursery. It had been decorated for her when she was a baby and her crib was in the middle of the floor.

"Aw," Polly cooed as she looked at the flowered dresser.

"Joe, I'm glad you came," Mandie said. Joe grinned as the three girls stood. Alex was glad he came too. Right now they needed his help. Maybe now they could find Alex's father's will.


	10. Uncle Ned's Visit and Etta Shaw Arrives

Chapter 10- Uncle Ned's Visit and Etta Shaw Arrives

Alex stood in the kitchen with a brown plaid shawl over her nightgown as she drank her milk. Milk always helped her sleep at night, but tonight she was just too keyed up to sleep.

Alex looked up as Mandie came into the kitchen, a blanket from her bed wrapped around her. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?" Alex asked.

"No. I was going to go outside. Do you want to come?" Mandie asked, taking a glass of milk Alex poured for her.

"Why not? I'm not going to sleep anytime soon," Alex said as Mandie opened the back door leading to the porch. Alex nearly started as an Indian came out from behind a column. The Indian looked at her with sharp eyes the same color as hers.

"You John Shaw daughter," the Indian said in broken English.

"You are Mandie's friend who brought her here. The one called Ned. I'm Alexandra," Alex said as they all sat down.

"I know. I there when Papoose born. I cry with Father when Mother go to Happy Hunting Ground," Ned said. Alex's eyes misted over.

"You knew my mother and father?" Alex asked.

"Yes. Much joy and sorrow when Papoose born. Father love you and Mother with much love. I hear Uncle John dead. Am sorry, Papooses," Ned said changing the subject. Mandie handed him the piece of wampum she had picked up in the Cherokee room.

"How come Daddy never told me Talitha Pindar was his mother?" Mandie asked her voice full of tears.

"Protect Papoose. Uncle John even hid it from Papoose cousin. He not want tell until Papoose cousin old enough," Ned said.

"What was Uncle Jim protecting her from?" Alex asked.

"Broke heart. Many people no like Indians," Ned said as Mandie wrapped her blanket around her tighter.

"She's really our grandmother?" Mandie asked.

"Why think I call you and cousin Papoose and give necklace?" Ned asked.

"He has a point there. He wouldn't call us that or give you your necklace if we weren't Indian," Alex said, running her thumb over the smooth bone of her own antler necklace that was in her hand.

"You never told me?" Mandie asked with a look of betrayal on her face.

"Promise Jim, no tell," Ned said.

"All this time, nobody ever told me! At least Alex had a good reason. She thought Daddy told me so she didn't bring it up," Mandie said, the tears finally falling.

"To protect Papoose heart," Ned said.

"Y'all failed. It broke. Would have been a lot easier to find out when I first asked Daddy for the truth. Can you stay close by until we find the will?" Mandie asked.

"I keep Papoose and Papoose cousin safe. Always. Promise Jim and John long ago. Promise Papooses now," Alex heard a soft rumble of thunder in the distance.

For some reason she believed Ned. He would keep them safe. She made a mental note to ask him later when did her father make him promise to keep her safe.

* * *

The next morning the thunder and lighting rumbled all day. The four children decided to look for the will in shifts. Mandie and Polly looked first and would be joined by Alex and Joe later.

Alex looked up from her book as the doorbell rang. The pained look on Liza's face made Alex feel sorry for her. "Liza, you can finish your dusting. I'll get the door," Alex said, standing up. The maid gave her a grateful look.

Alex walked into the foyer as Mr. Bond did. "Miss Alexandra, I thought you were upstairs," Mr. Bond said in surprise.

"No. I told Liza I'd get the door. Alex said as Mr. Bond opened the door. Alex felt the muscles in her face tighten and her stomach roll with nausea. Mr. Hughes was standing there with a sour-faced woman, whom Alex could only assume was Mandie's mother.

Mr. Bond walked to the edge of the porch. "I'm taking my daughter home," the woman said in a bossy tone. Apparently she didn't know that Mr. Bond couldn't be bossed like that.

"Who are you, Madam?" Mr. Bond asked, deciding to play dumb.

"Don't you sass me. Where's my girl?" The woman demanded with more gall than Alex had ever seen in anyone. Alex felt her hackles rise. If Alex had been older she would have booted this terrible woman off her porch and told her not to come back until she could keep a civil tongue in her head.

"Madam, I have never seen you before in my life. How would I know who your little girl is?" Mr. Bond asked, putting his hand on Alex's shoulder as he walked away with her.

"You know full well who I am. I'm Etta Shaw," Etta said. Mr. Bond and Alex turned back to face her.

"Well, well this is surprising. You're both smelling very appropriate today," Mr. Bond said with mock civility. Alex covered her mouth and coughed to cover a laugh.

"Don't you and the redhead play games with me. You're gonna take me to my Amanda this minute," Etta demanded.

"I'm sorry, but we really don't know where Mandie is. She could be anywhere," Alex chimed in.

"I said this minute," Etta said in a queen-of-the-manor voice.

"Or I'll go get the sheriff this minute," Mr. Hughes threatened, apparently wanting to get a word in over Etta's big mouth. If Mr. Hughes married Etta it wasn't hard to see who'd be wearing the pants in the family.

"You're threats don't work here, Mr. Hughes. Now you two will keep a civil and clean tongue in my father's house or I'll throw you both off," Alex said with a threat of her own.

"Now, Miss Alexandra, we have to be polite. Miss Alexandra is right though. I'm afraid at this minute, Miss Amanda's whereabouts are not known," Mr. Bond said.

"If you've gone and lost my little girl-"Etta started a new rampage.

"Of course I haven't lost your little girl. That would be irresponsible. Wouldn't that be irresponsible? Of course it would. Yes. She could be down at the creek, she could be riding a horse, she could be in any number of trees," Mr. Bond said really fast so Etta couldn't get a word in.

"Uh-huh. Why isn't she helping around the house?" Etta asked suspiciously. Alex remembered what Mandie said about Etta trying to hire her out. With that question it made what Mandie said true.

"Well, I think she and her cousin need a little variety in there lives, wouldn't you say?" Mr. Bond asked.

"We'll stay for supper," Etta said, sounding unsure for the first time since setting foot on the property.

"Ah," Mr. Bond said.

"Surely she'll be back by then?" Etta asked.

"Surely, Madam," Mr. Bond said as he and Alex both went into the house.

"Isn't there any way we could have gotten rid of them?" Alex whispered violently.

"I'm afraid not, Miss Alexandra. We can just try to stall them as long as possible. Your father would have been proud of you just now. You talked to them like he would have," Jason said.

"I don't like that woman, Mr. Jason. If she takes Mandie, I'll pull her hair out by the roots," Alex said as Mr. Bond opened the door to John Shaw's office. Mandie, Joe, and Polly stood.

"Sshhhhhhh! Mrs. Etta Shaw has arrived," Mr. Bond said.

A look of terror filled Mandie's eyes. "No!" Mandie exclaimed, backing away.

"It's okay," Joe consoled.

"Don't panic, don't panic. We'll go downstairs, we'll have some early supper. We'll come back up here and we'll search all night if necessary," Mr. Bond said. Mandie nodded. She had one arm around Joe and the other around Alex. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," Mandie said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

* * *

Mandie was dragging her feet and her palms were sweaty as she walked into the dining room, holding Alex's hand. Her cousin was frightened out of her wits over Etta; that much was obvious.

"There she is! Do you know how worried I was? You know what you put me through? I had search parties out for three days. How could you not send word? I missed you so much," Etta said, hugging Mandie.

It was all Alex could do not to kick the woman out of the house for her two-faced attitude. In this moment of motherly concern Alex saw something fake and so did Mandie.

"Would you have missed me when you hired me out for work?" Mandie asked. Alex felt like cheering as an uncomfortable look crossed Etta's face.

"Mandie! I don't- I don't hire my family out. I love my family. Thank you for taking such good care of her," Etta said to Jason. He nodded. "And look at this pretty new dress! I always wished I could afford to make her one," Etta said with false modesty.

"Yeah. You just had no problems giving them to your daughter, Irene," Alex muttered as she sat in her seat.

"Alex, I don't want to go," Mandie whispered.

"I know. I'm not letting that happen. I'll pull her hair out if she takes you," Alex said, squeezing her cousin's hand.

"I wish I had a family like that," Gaynelle said. Alex glared at her, causing the woman to shrink in her seat.

"Your Injun friend put a right ugly hole in my saddle," Mr. Hughes said in a low, angry voice.

"Hush, Mr. Hughes. That's been forgiven," Etta said with a smile.

"Who improperly set my place? I have nothing with which to eat my dinner," Gaynelle complained, changing the subject.

"Miss Snow, I'm sure you can find a way to get them green beans down your gullet with a salad fork," Liza said with animosity that Alex hadn't seen out of the maid since she had arrived. The four children smiled at each other as they ate their vegetables.

"We'll be leaving right after dinner so as not to cause you any more trouble. I know Amanda's homesick," Etta said as Aunt Lou left the room. Alex and Mandie looked at each other in dismay.

"No!" Mandie mouthed to Mr. Bond.

"Well, ah, you're certainly welcome to spend the night. I mean we have plenty of rooms," Mr. Bond said to Liza's dismay. Over in the corner Liza was rolling her eyes.

"Well, we've already left Irene way too long. But thank you for your hospitality," Etta said quickly; a little too quickly for Alex. Alex was willing to bet that Irene was just fine and one more night wouldn't have killed her.

"Oh pity," Bayne said sarcastically. Alex felt like strangling the man with her bare hands. She shot daggers at him, hoping he'd get the hint and shut up. Apparently he didn't. "This house will feel so empty and quiet without you kids," Bayne said with a sneer which Polly and Joe shot back to him.

"Mr. Locke, my cousin, Polly and Joe might leave, but I'm not. This is still my father's house and I'm not leaving," Alex said shortly, fighting the urge to bash the man in the shin for his comments.

Samuel then came into the room followed by Aunt Lou and out of breath. "Mr. Hughes, your wheel clean fell off of your wagon," Samuel said. "But don't worry. I can have it fixed by midnight."

Alex and Mandie grinned at each other. "Liza, would you prepare two more rooms?" Mr. Bond asked.

"Yes Sir," Liza said with a strained smile.

"Liza, I'm sure me and Mandie will come help you. After all no one should accuse the Shaw cousins of being impolite to people who stay overnight," Alex said with a sugary sweet voice and angelic smile as she glared at Gaynelle, Bayne, Etta, and Mr. Hughes.

"No, they shouldn't. We'll be glad to help you, Liza," Mandie said, copying Alex's tone.


	11. Secrets Revealed and A Surprise Guest

Chapter 11- Secrets Revealed and a Surprise Guest

Soon after dinner the four children and Mr. Bond made their way upstairs and went back to the task of looking for the will.

"I wish we knew what it looked like. It might make this easier," Joe said as he and Mr. Bond looked through books.

"Me too. I wish Father had given us some idea of what to look for. He couldn't have planned it like this, could he?" Alex asked Mr. Bond.

"I'm not sure, Miss Alexandra. Your father had a lot of secrets, but it was no secret how much he loved you. Maybe he thought, out of all people, you'd find it since you are his daughter," Mr. Bond said, patting Alex's hand.

"Have the bedrooms on this floor been checked?" Mandie asked.

"On this floor, no," Mr. Bond said.

"What about downstairs where the Indians lived?" Alex asked, cocking her head.

"Well, to my knowledge, your father never went down there," Jason said.

"What if he did it without your knowledge?" Mandie asked frantically.

"You're right we should be thorough," Mr. Bond said, going to the door hidden behind the curtain picture of Talitha Shaw.

* * *

They continued to search through papers. It was 2 in the morning and Alex rubbed her eyes tiredly. Looking for the will in here was getting them mo where. If they didn't find it Etta would take Mandie, unless there was another way to stall for time.

"Tired?" Mandie whispered.

"A little. These late hours are finally catching up with me," Alex said as Joe pulled out another framed picture.

"Look at this," Joe said, showing the picture to all of them. The picture was of a beautiful blonde woman. The locket around her neck was similar to Mandie's. "Id fight with my brother over her," Joe said in admiration.

"She's not my mother. My mother was a brunette. I guess she was the woman Father and Uncle Jim fought over. But why would Father keep the picture all these years? Especially after marrying my mother?" Alex asked.

"Do you think this is her? Must have died young," Polly commented. "Oh, how terribly tragic!"

* * *

The stranger entered the yard of the huge mansion. After all that had happened he was happy to be home where he belonged. Leaving when he did had been a huge mistake.

Usually he always took a trip in the fall, but this year he shouldn't have. He had had the feeling he should have stayed home, but he hadn't.

He went up the porch steps and attempted to open the front door. The door was locked. The man looked at it in dismay. The door was rarely ever locked. Something must have happened while he was gone for them to lock the door.

Fortunately he knew of another way in. If he had been looking around he would have seen that he was being watched, but he hadn't.

* * *

Alex put the picture of the woman beside the picture of her father and uncle before sitting on the floor with the others. "My father's probably not even in the will. Uncle John probably willed it all to Alex if she was ever found," Mandie said glumly.

"Hush. Sit down here and think like Mr. John. We all need new perspectives," Polly said.

"I don't think Father willed everything to me, Mandie. Why would he if he knew that Uncle Jim could have some of it? He couldn't have been that angry, could he?" Alex asked.

"I don't know. I wouldn't if I was angry," Mandie said as Polly and Joe both started and grabbed the two pictures.

"It's the same picture," Polly said, holding Mandie's locket in her other hand. "I bet the other half is hiding underneath," Polly exclaimed.

* * *

The man made his way through the dark woods. It had been a long time since he had entered the house through the Indian room below. He had hidden a few things in there, but he had no reason to ever go in there.

He opened the wooden door and entered the cavern. He remembered how scared he was of this place when he was a boy and when he had taken his baby down here when she was two. He had howled in fear and his baby had screamed, burying her face in his chest. But now was not the time to think of a little girl gone forever.

* * *

"A man having a picture of him and his brother in a locket is strange," Joe commented as Polly, Alex, and Mandie looked at the locket carefully and then the picture of John and Jim Shaw.

"I think Joe's right. I would put a picture of my mother, not my brother in a locket," Alex said.

"But its sweet," Polly argued.

"Y'all we're sidetracked," Mandie said, closing the locket.

"I don't think so," Joe said.

"I know his brother's underneath. You just can't wear a lopsided locket," Polly said, opening the locket again. Polly moved the picture of Uncle Jim. Instead of John Shaw being underneath, the blonde haired woman looked back at them. They looked at the picture in shock.

"Finally something that makes sense," Joe said, holding the framed picture up to Mandie's face.

"You sure don't look a thing like Etta," Polly said. The resemblance between the woman and Mandie was incredible! If this was who Alex thought it was that meant that Etta had no claim to Mandie.

"Again, sidetracked. The will," Mandie said, pushing the framed photo down.

"Mandie, don't you know what this means? This means you don't have to go with Etta. If she's not your mother then she can't force you to go with her," Alex said as they all stood.

"I'll rejoice later. Right now we have to find the will," Mandie said.

* * *

The stranger made it down the cave and into the Indian room. He knew his way in this room and could know where he was going without seeing.

He was confident that he could enter the house through the office when someone knocked him over. He started and turned to face a tall Indian. The moonlight was shining enough to reveal who he was. A look of surprise crossed the Indian's face.

"You late, John Shaw," the Indian said gruffly.

John Shaw smiled in spite of himself. His Indian friend, Ned, was never one to beat around the bush. "I'm sorry. Why is the front door locked?" John asked. He had only insisted on the doors being locked after Alexandra had been stolen from the front yard.

"Jason Bond say that he protect children in house," Ned said. Children? What children? The only children who had ever lived here in his memory had been his brother, Jim, and Alexandra.

"Come. Children need help," Ned said as they went towards the office.

* * *

"The treasure trunks guarded secrets, the antler necklace protected secrets, but I already have the antler necklace and it's not protecting anything," Mandie complained as they looked at the picture of Talitha Shaw.

"Maybe we should check the Indian room," Polly suggested.

"Sounds like a good plan," Alex said, looking at the picture of her grandmother. She wondered what Talitha would have done in this case.

"No!" Joe moved the cloth picture aside and opened another smaller door. He pulled out a small chest and handed it to Polly as he closed the door.

"Open it," Polly said as they put the chest on the table. Mandie hesitated as Polly opened it, revealing envelopes all stacked in there.

Alex pulled out one. The name **Elizabeth Taft **and **Asheville, North Carolina** was on it. Her mother's name had been Laura Bensons. This was different. It was also different for Mandie too.

"My middle name is Elizabeth," Mandie said in surprise.

"Asheville, North Carolina is only six hours away from here by train," Polly said excitedly.

"Polly, she's obviously dead," Mandie said in a practical voice.

"But someone had to be there to send the letters back to my father," Alex said, looking carefully at the envelopes.

"Who, Alex?" Joe asked.

"I have no idea, but this does mean that Mandie's not leaving tomorrow," Alex smiled at her cousin.

"I guess so," Mandie said as a loud knock filled the office.

"Open this door right now, Children!" Bayne Locke's voice came through the door in an authoritative command.

"They'll do no such thing," Mr. Bond's voice came through, filling them with relief.

"I demand to know what is going on in there. Open this door right now or I shall break it down!" Bayne demanded.

"You'll have to get through me first," Mr. Bond said. A scuffle was soon heard through the door.

The children's attention was drawn away from it as the picture curtain moved. Polly screamed in terror as Ned came into the room.

"Uncle Ned!" Mandie exclaimed as both cousins hugged the Indian.

"Papooses, I bring Uncle John," Ned said, moving aside before Alex could ask what he meant.

A tall man wearing a hat came into the room. He removed the hat. He had long reddish hair; the same color as Alex's. It was the same man in the picture with Uncle Jim, except a little older.

Alex felt a combination of joy and sadness as she looked at him. Joy of him being alive made her happy, but she also wondered if her father still loved her like he had once.

* * *

John Shaw paused and frowned as he looked at the girl with blonde hair. It was like looking at Elizabeth and his mother at the same time. He hadn't seen Elizabeth since the day the Taft's moved to Asheville after Jim and Elizabeth's marriage was annulled. This girl was also living proof that Elizabeth's baby hadn't died like he had been told.

His eyes went directly to the redhead next to her. His breath caught as he looked into her dark brown eyes; the eyes that revealed her Indian blood. Alexandra. His daughter was all right and standing right in front of him. She looked happy, but she also looked sad. Her dark eyes had a liquid quality.

Alexandra looked beautiful with her reddish hair, tumbling down her back. The yellow dress she was wearing made her hair brighter and her skin glow. She had always looked like him and his father when she was a baby, but she had inherited Laura's petite frame and the shape of her cheekbones.

Both girls looked toward the door. "Alex," he heard the blonde whisper, squeezing Alexandra's arm.

"Shhh! Wait a minute. What am I saying? Mr. Locke already knows we're in here," Alex said, stooping down and attempting to untie her shoe.

"Alex, what are you doing?" Polly Cornwallis from next door asked, echoing John's confusion.

"Alex. Where had his girl gotten that nickname? It was a name given to boys; not a girl. Especially not his little girl.

"Trying to get this knot out. If I can open the door Maybe I can hit Mr. Locke with the heel. It's either my shoe or the fireplace shovel over there," Alexandra said wearily.

"I don't think that'd work, Alex," the boy in the room said.

"Well, I'm open to suggestions," Alexandra said.

"Why don't you let me try something?" John asked, walking past Alexandra and his niece. He opened the door, watching the fight in the hallway.


	12. Cleaning the House and a Family Talk

Chapter 12-Cleaning the House and a Family Talk

Alex watched as her father opened the door to his office. The scuffling stopped. She stood behind her father, looking past him to Jason and Mr. Locke.

Jason was staring at her father as if he'd seen a ghost, which he probably had. Alex still wondered how he could still be alive when everyone had said that he'd drowned when his ship went down.

But one question had been answered. Her father didn't like her nickname. His face had revealed that much when Polly used it.

"Mr. John," Jason said his spectacles halfway down his face.

"Jason," John said, surprising Alex as he smiled.

Jason moved his spectacles to his eyes as he looked at John, then Alex, and back to John. "Mr. John," he said.

"I reckon my absence has caused a bit of trouble," John said, putting his arm around Alex. It was also surprising he was being this affectionate with her already. Alex smelled the smell of cigars and bay rum as she stood this close to him. It wasn't an unpleasant smell. Alex liked it as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Just a bit, Sir, just a bit," Jason said in a laughing tone. Alex then noticed Mr. Locke behind Jason. This man was intruding as he had done since he had come into the house. Alex hoped her father would say if he was related to him or not.

Alex hoped there wasn't a relation between her father and Mr. Locke. Her father's face changed as he noticed Mr. Locke standing there.

"What in heaven's name are you doing in my home?" her father asked a steel-like quality in his voice.

"Mr. Shaw. I...I...I...they said that you-"Mr. Locke stuttered.

"I'm not. Fortunately I know how to swim," John said. Alex grinned as she looked up at her father and then Jason, who grinned back. "Now I ask you, Mr. Snow, what are you doing in my home?"

"Mr. Snow?" Alex and Jason both asked in confusion. The sea water had to have addled her father's head.

"Yes. Did you not properly introduce yourself?" John asked as he walked toward the man and started to push him down the hall.

"Come on. Let's see what Father does," Alex said as they all followed John.

* * *

John pushed Mr. Snow down the hall, amidst his protests and begging. Through it all his heart felt light. Alexandra had clung to him as she had when she was a baby and he had heard her call him "Father." He was still that to her after all the years apart.

Raising these two girls was going to be interesting. He had raised Jim, but he had hardly any experience with little girls past the age of two or three.

John opened the door on the second floor and saw Bayne's wife, Gaynelle Snow, in the hallway. "Hello, Mrs. Snow," John said in irritation. Here was another he would oust from his home.

"Ghost! Ghost!" Mrs. Snow screamed as she ran down the hall in terror.

John then noticed a man on the floor and a woman in the hall. "All right, Mr. Hughes, on your feet, Sir," he heard Jason say behind him. John motioned the woman in the hall to follow them.

"We're moving out of here. Just stay there, we'll be back," John heard Jason say again. Probably to the woman.

"Amanda? Amanda?" He heard the woman ask behind them. Amanda. That was his niece's name? His brother had liked the name when they were younger. When John was 30 and Jim 15 they had discussed what names they would give children if they ever had any. Jim had only picked Amanda for a girl while John wanted their mother's name, Talitha, for a girl.

"Ghost!" He heard Mrs. Snow scream as he came to the main staircase leaving the mansion. He saw Aunt Lou, Liza, and Samuel all standing there.

"Where's the ghost? Who saw a ghost?" Aunt Lou asked as Mrs. Snow went past her. Aunt Lou screamed in fright as she looked at him.

"I'm real, Aunt Lou, not a ghost- I promise," John said as they went to the foot of the stairs.

"That's what they all say," Aunt Lou said. John could have laughed at that. How many ghosts did Aunt Lou know to say that?

"My baby! My baby! Oh, I thought you were killed!" The woman from the hall exclaimed as she ran up to Amanda and hugged her.

"Get off of me! She's not even my real Momma," Amanda said to John after she pushed the woman away. A look of repulsion filled her face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The woman sighed deeply. "Honey, it's so obvious. Neither me nor Irene look a thing like ya. You and the little redhead here, look alike in some degree. And the only reason your father made me promise I wouldn't tell was so you thought you had a real family," the woman said, looking remorseful.

"She does have one now. Me," Alexandra spoke up from beside John.

"I thought she did when you came into the dining room and you acted like twins," the woman said as Mr. Hughes came up to her, a look of indignation on his face.

"You mean you put me through all this trouble knowing full well she wasn't your flesh and blood?" The man asked. The woman smiled apologetically.

John nearly smiled himself as Alexandra and Polly came over to Amanda and wrapped their arms around her protectively. His daughter was only an inch or two shorter than both girls, but he could see a strong personality that matched his. He would talk to both of his girls later, but he had to empty the house first.

"Jason, would you please escort Mr. and Mrs. Snow out?" John asked.

"With great pleasure, Sir. This way," Jason said, pushing Mr. Snow and his wife to the door.

"Well, I am not leaving without my things," Mrs. Snow said haughtily as she pushed past Jason.

"And as for my brother's widow and her friend," John said, pushing the woman and Mr. Hughes toward the exit.

"I volunteer," Liza said, raising her hand. Samuel helped push them out.

"Thank you, Liza, Samuel," john said as he went back to Alexandra and Amanda. He wrapped one arm around Alexandra. He didn't know how Amanda might feel if he repeated the same gesture. "My brother was married to that woman?" John asked. Amanda nodded her head, John huffed out a breath.

Jim had made a mistake marrying that woman. Something said in her actions that she had treated Jim and Amanda horribly. Gaynelle came into the hallway, lugging a valise that rattled.

"Jason, would you help Mrs. Snow carry her bag? I do hate to see a woman laboring under such weight," John said. He heard Alexandra cough slightly as if covering up a laugh.

"Yes, of course, Mr. John. I'll take that," Jason said, pulling the valise.

"No, thank you. I'm quite capable," Mrs. Snow said, starting a tug-of-war.

"I insist," Jason said, pulling the bag out of her hand.

"No, that will not be necessary," Mrs. Snow said belatedly.

"Thank you. You know, Mrs. Snow, you really should start learning to pack for traveling. Jason said, pulling out some gilt candlesticks. "These are nice," Jason said as they all smiled. "There's only one rule really. Don't haul out what you did not haul in," Jason said warningly. "All right. Thank you, Madam. After you," Jason said, pulling out a small black hat and putting it on her head. Jason led them to the door.

"Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Snow," John said as they left the house.

Alexandra heaved a huge sigh of relief. "It's finally quiet. I think I'm going to go get a cup of tea. I'm not going to sleep tonight," Alexandra said.

"Sounds good. I think I want one too," Amanda said with a smile. Both girls wrapped their arms around each other as they walked to the kitchen.

"Miss Alex, Miss Mandie, why don't I get you the tea?" Aunt Lou asked. So both of his girls had nicknames?

Alex and Mandie. He could get used to Mandie, but Alex? He couldn't envision himself ever calling his daughter Alex. He had always thought of her as Alexandra.

"How about it, Cousin Alex?" Amanda asked.

"Nope. I know how to fix my own tea. It's not as if I'm three," Alexandra said, looking at Aunt Lou and John. John felt a smile cross his face.

His daughter was his. She was as obstinate at 11 as he and Jim was. He remembered giving his mother and father quite a few headaches at her age. Both of his parents had died by the time Jim was 11. So John had the headaches from Jim's ways.

"Miss Alex, I don't mind. I know you can do it yourself, but I want to get it. You and Miss Mandie wait here," Aunt Lou said, walking to the kitchen.

"I didn't stand a chance in us getting it ourselves, did I?" Alexandra asked.

"I could have told you that would happen, Alexandra," John said coming downstairs and wrapping his arm around her.

"I had to try. I'm used to doing things for myself," Alexandra said ruefully.

"I was my father's headache. I guess you and your cousin are going to be mine," John teased both girls.

"Very funny, Father," Alexandra said, pressing one hand against his shoulder and the other against his stomach.

Aunt Lou came back with hot cups of tea and gave one to each girl. They walked off to the library, Ned following.

* * *

Alex held her teacup as they went into the library. Her father's attention was now on Mandie and he smiled as he looked at her and Alex.

"I can't decide whether you look more like my mother or Elizabeth," John said. Mandie smiled briefly as they sat down. "They told me you were dead."

"Who?" Mandie asked.

"Elizabeth's parents," John said, a steel entering his voice.

"Why?" Mandie asked confused.

"For the same reason they split your father and Elizabeth up and annulled their marriage five days after their honeymoon. They found out we were half Cherokee. And they were not about to let Indian blood dilute their pure German ancestry. My own wife was disowned by her parents when she married me. They said I wasn't a White man. I was an Indian and they'd never accept me or any children we had," John said a sad look on his face.

"I with Jim Shaw. Messenger come. Bring baby. You," Ned said to Mandie. "Messenger say Elizabeth dead in childbirth. Give you to Jim Shaw."

"You knew this whole time that Etta wasn't her real mother?" Alex asked, turning to Ned.

"Am sorry, Papoose. Promise Uncle Jim never tell," Ned said. Mandie then turned to look at John.

"How do you go fourteen years and never make up with the only brother you had?" Mandie asked the question both girls had thought.

"I thought he would come back after his marriage was annulled. So I married myself and waited. He was the one who left- he took Elizabeth and Ned. I didn't know where he went. So I waited. Too long," John said sadly as he looked at a spot on the floor.

"Father would have listened to you if you had told him to come back," Mandie said to Ned.

"What happened to Elizabeth?" Alex asked her father.

"I don't know, Alexandra. I didn't want to know. Jim was proud of his Indian blood. I told him to hide it, that it'd get him in trouble. He didn't listen to me," John said with a bitter smile.

Alex pulled her antler necklace out of the pocket of her dress, running her fingers over the smooth bone. "I think I am," Alex admitted.

"I leave that up to you. You decide if you want to be Cherokee or not. With your uncle I learned I couldn't force him to be one or the other," her father said, taking the necklace out of her hand.

"I don't know if I'm proud of my Indian blood or not. I'm glad you're not dead," Mandie said walking off. Alex, John, and Ned all looked at each other in silence for a few awkward moments.


	13. Father and Daughter and Finding the Will

Chapter 13- Father and Daughter and Finding the Will

"That went well. I thought Mandie got over Uncle Jim lying to her," Alexandra commented, fingering the gold filigree handle on her teacup/

"I can't blame her. Jim should have told her these things long ago. She shouldn't have had to find out this way. I wanted to tell you when you were five or six and old enough to understand," John said.

"I understand why you couldn't. This is another thing we could blame Theodore Rocklin for," Alexandra said, rolling her eyes.

"You know, your eyes will stick in one spot if you roll them," John teased. His father had always teased his mother with that saying a million times. Now he really felt like his father by saying it.

"I've been doing for as long as I can remember. My eyes haven't stuck yet," Alexandra said dryly.

"There's a first time for anything, Alexandra," John said, squeezing her hand gently as she put the teacup down.

"You don't have to call me that. Everyone has called me Alex since I was five," Alexandra said, letting John pull her into his arms and hug her tightly. It had been so long since he had held his daughter. He almost didn't want to let her go.

"I haven't. To me you were always Alexandra. I'm not changing your name. How did you get that name anyway?" John asked, stroking her soft, thick hair.

"I was five and learning how to write my name. It was too big so I asked if I could shorten it. The only name I could think of was Alex. It's short and simple," Alexandra said, burying her face in John's chest. It took him back to when she was three. She was always with him when she was small. Jason had teased him and called Alexandra his shadow.

"I can't argue with that. But I won't call you that. Your mother loved that name. I wanted to name you after your grandmother. When your mother died I honored her choice," John said as Jason came into the library.

"Are they gone, Mr. Jason?" Alexandra asked meaning all the people John had kicked out of the house.

"They're gone, Miss Alex. Samuel and I saw them off," Jason said.

Alexandra breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Jason," John said with a smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, Mr. John. I had no proof to remove them, even though I knew your only relations were Miss Alex and Miss Mandie," Jason said, a rueful look on his face.

"I know, Jason. We'll forget it ever happened. But for now I want to make up lost time with my daughter and get to know my niece," John said, stroking Alexandra's hair again.

"I do too, Father," he heard Alexandra's soft whisper before she yawned.

"Tired?" John asked, lifting her into his arms. Alexandra was light and easy to carry. She wasn't heavy like Jim had been at 11 and had fallen asleep often like most boys who play all day are prone to do.

"A little," Alexandra said, wrapping her slender arms around his neck as he carried her to her room.

"I have missed this," John whispered as Aunt Lou opened the door to her room and laid her on her bed. Aunt Lou then removed her shoes and covered her with a blanket.

Alexandra fell asleep in a matter of minutes. John sat there watching her sleep, her breathing slow and even. It had been a long time since he had felt any of the protective nature his own father had felt while watching his child sleep.

* * *

Alex woke up the next day in her own bed, Snowball sound asleep on her feet. Snowball had to have come in here after her father and Aunt Lou had put her to bed.

Alex looked down at her wrinkled dress. She wasn't about to wear it as wrinkled as it was. Her only option was the dresses Mrs. Rocklin had made for her. Her father wouldn't like it, but what other options did she have? Until Aunt Lou made others, the dress she was wearing was all she had along with the dresses that belonged to her when she was Alex Rocklin.

Alex managed to get into the light green dress and quickly braided her reddish hair in one single braid down her back.

She ran out of the room, Snowball on her heels to the dining room. Considering the late hours they all had the night before it was amazing they had gotten up.

Her father and Mr. Bond stood as she entered the room. Her father's eyes sparkled as he smiled at her and pulled out a chair next to him on his right. Mandie sat in the chair on his left.

"Did you sleep well?" Her father asked after grace was said and food was passed around.

"Very well, thank you. I was going to stay up and read, but I couldn't," Alex said, buttering a piece of biscuit.

"That was obvious when you almost fell asleep," Jason said.

"So, what are you children going to do today?" John asked, changing the subject.

"We should clean up your office. We did make a mess of it. And I thought you were messy," Alex said without thinking.

Mandie, Joe, and Polly choked as John made a face. "You sound just like your mother used to," her father said in a mock show of severity.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Alex asked.

"In some ways. Personally, I think you are more like me and your grandfather," John said, squeezing her hand.

"So would you like us to clean your office?" Alex asked.

"Sure, if you'll do me a favor. I never want to see that dress again. Just wear the clothes Aunt Lou makes," John said, this time serious.

"I only have the one dress Aunt Lou made. Other than that this is all I have. Polly says it ain't fit for the trash heap," Alex said, glaring at Polly.

"Isn't and I agree," John corrected her with a smile.

"Then it's a good thing I'm cleaning out your office. You wouldn't care if I ruined it," Alex said stiffly. Her father looked slightly taken aback. No one, other than Uncle Jim, had ever talked to him like that.

Alex instantly regretted her words to her father. "I am sorry, but until my dress gets cleaned and Aunt Lou finishes the fancy dresses she has planned for me and Mandie this is all I've got," Alex said, trying her best to look shamefaced.

"I understand. I just want my girls to dress their best," John said, smoothing his hand over her hair.

"I guess we can't blame you for that. Aunt Lou said the same thing when I first arrived. She said we had to dress in clothes that you'd wear," Alex said with a grin.

"Just promise me you won't wear this dress again and I won't say another word," John said.

"All right. I promise I won't wear it again. I'll do what Mandie did. I'll stuff it in the bottom drawer of my armoire," Alex said, eating a baked apple.

"Very good. Now finish your food. I want to see a clean plate," John teased. Everyone laughed at that as Alex took a drink of coffee and glared at him over the rim of her cup.

* * *

It took longer than John had thought for the children to clean his office. He was untidy, but the children had made it worse looking for the will.

John unlocked the door to his office with a book he had bought for Alexandra. Jason had told him she was like her mother and loved books. So he had gone out and gotten her this one since she had only read the books Laura had left.

John paused as he entered the office. It was the cleanest he had ever seen it. The chests full of papers were stacked neatly in a line and it looked as if the floor and walls had been scrubbed.

"How long did it take you to clean up this place?" John asked as the children stood in front of him. Judging by how much dust was on her dress, it had been a dirty job for Alexandra to clean his office up. Dirt was also on her face and the rag on her head had dirt streaks on it.

"Don't ask," Mandie said as Joe and Polly laughed.

"We cleaned while Alex dusted and mopped. That's why she looks as if she got into a dirt fight," Joe teased.

"Very funny. As soon as we get out of here I'm gonna go clean up. So all of you can stop teasing me," Alexandra said, pulling the rag off her head.

"Mr. Shaw, where is your will?" Polly asked, changing the subject.

"Can you keep a secret?" John asked, evading the question.

"Yes," Polly said excitedly.

"Sure," Joe said casually. John then looked at his girls. If they were anything like him they'd figure it out without him saying a word. The girls had found out about their Cherokee blood and Elizabeth without his help. So what was one more thing?

"No," Alexandra and Mandie both said together. John smiled as Joe and Polly looked at them.

Alexandra's dark brown eyes went to the picture of John's mother behind him. Her face changed instantly. "Mandie, I think I know where it is," Alexandra said, a bare grin on her face.

"Where?" Polly asked.

"Think about the story Uncle Jim told you, Mandie. You told me that he said that Grandmother's antler necklace protected all the secrets of her heart. So what is the only place in the house that's a secret itself?" Alexandra. Mandie's face also changed instantly.

"Jumpin' Jiminey!" Mandie exclaimed as both girls went out of the office and to the room next door. If John knew his girls they were going to the Indian room, via the Oriental room. That was how he and Jim had always entered the Indian room/

John would have joined the girls, but he felt too old to crawl in that tunnel. So he waited at the entrance that led from his office and Polly and Joe waited at the ladder that Alexandra and Mandie would use.

The burlap moved and both girls came into the room and ran to the antler decoration John's father had hung up. Mandie touched a crack in the wall before both girls grabbed the antlers and pulled them out, setting them on the dirty floor.

"Mandie, look!" Alexandra exclaimed, touching a keyhole with her slender fingers.

"I see it. I see it," Mandie said, pulling a necklace out that had a key on the end of it. She waved it at John with a smug look on her face.

John raised his eyebrows and smiled back in a "what-will-you-do-now" manner at his girls. Mandie slipped the key into the keyhole. "Alex, you turn it and I'll pull it out," Mandie said. Alexandra turned the key and the tumbler clicked, making a loud sound.

Mandie gripped the edges of the wall and pulled it out. "Of all the places!" Polly exclaimed as Alexandra pulled out a wooden box with a carving of deer antlers on it.

Mandie blew on the box, disturbing the dust. Alexandra opened it, revealing a book. Mandie then pulled out a pile of papers that had a wax seal on it. Mandie showed the papers to John.

"Why would anyone hide a will where no one can find it?" Mandie asked.

"To know that, you'd have to break the seal," John said with a smile. John hoped they wouldn't. Now that he had two girls to provide for, he had to change the will. He did have Alexandra in the will, but now that Jim had died and Mandie had come, he had to make a provision for her and take Jim out of the will.

"Do you want to know?" Mandie whispered to Alexandra.

"Only one question. Father, am I even in the will? Mr. Jason said you might have put me in the will in the hope I'd be found," Alexandra said.

"Of course I did. I always hoped and prayed you'd come back, but now that Jim's gone I'll have to make a provision for not only you, but Mandie as well," John said as Mandie put it back in the box and both girls locked the compartment.

John smiled and looked around the Indian room. It had been a long time since he had been in here, but he was happy for the first time in a long time. This time he would not lose his family on a silly quarrel or have one of them taken from him.


	14. History and Archery Lessons

Chapter 14- History Lessons and Archery

John Shaw felt like a boy at Christmas. Joe and Polly had gone home shortly after Alexandra and Amanda had found the will and he was enjoying himself immensely with the two girls in his life now. It made his life before the girls had come seem flat and empty. He was finding out new things about his girls every day. Amanda was a combination of Jim and Elizabeth.

When his niece got upset her dark eyes took on a stubborn look like Jim, but when she smiled she looked like Elizabeth. Alexandra was in some ways like him; quiet and reserved, but when she got wrapped up in something important he could see flashes of Laura's personality in her smile and the way her dark brown eyes shone.

Alexandra's love of books wasn't all new since her mother had been addicted to the written word. The fact that she had trouble remembering historical dates was unusual. John had spent an afternoon quizzing both girls at history. Amanda had done well, but Alexandra knew people in history, just not the date.

John had finally given up and sat next to Alexandra, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to his chest.

"I'm sorry I didn't do so well," Alexandra said, a look of shame and embarrassment on her young face as she looked up at him.

John squeezed her hand gently. "It's all right. I never was that great with dates either. Jason was the one who actually helped with history. I hired him to tutor Jim and I sat in on the lessons. I understood it better if someone explained it," John said.

"I never had a problem with history," Amanda said, playing with her white cat, Snowball. John hadn't noticed the cat until he had checked on Alexandra one night and the cat was lying across her feet.

"You get that from your father. Alexandra is like me though. It takes a couple of times to explain, but she'll get it," John said with a smile.

"So you aren't angry?" Alexandra asked timidly.

"Of course not. I could never be angry with you or Amanda. Why do you think I spoiled you so much when you were a baby?" John teased, pulling Alexandra's reddish braids.

"Because of Mother dying?" Alexandra ventured a guess.

"Probably. I wanted to make it where you never lacked anything," John said, feeling tears in his eyes at the mention of Laura.

"Well, I need to catch up on a few things," Amanda said, trying to change the subject and walk away.

"Like what?" John asked.

"Archery, for one. I haven't been keeping up with the lessons Daddy taught me," Amanda said with a smile.

"Archery. You mean shooting with a bow and arrow," Alexandra asked skeptically.

"Yep. Do you know how to shoot with a bow and arrow?" Amanda asked.

"No. White people are not about to teach another how to use a bow and arrow like the Indians. Especially if the white man raising you absolutely hates Indians and thinks they are lower than animals," Alexandra said in a small voice.

"He actually said that?" Amanda asked.

"Yep. Mr. Rocklin's father was a soldier on the Cherokee Trail of Tears and he passed on his hatred. I got thrashed because I was nice to a little Indian girl who came begging for food. I think I got spanked ten times with his belt because of that and that was a year ago when I was ten," Alexandra said with a sad smile.

John felt his anger rise that someone would strike his baby girl. John took a deep breath to control his temper. "Alexandra, would you like to learn how to use a bow and arrow? I haven't used a bow in a long time, but I could teach you how to use it," John said, touching her face gently.

"I do know how to shoot a gun. My adopted brother taught me when I was seven. I guess I could learn to use a bow and arrow. How hard could it be?" Alexandra asked, not sounding very convincing.

"You have no idea. I'll go tell Samuel to help me set up an archery field," Amanda said, leaving the parlor.

"And we'll get the bow and arrows," John said, pulling Alexandra with him.

"Please tell me it's not difficult," Alexandra whispered to him as he opened a compartment and pulled out the bow and sling of arrows he and Jim had practiced on as boys. He handed the sling of arrows to her.

"It's not difficult once you learn. I was going to teach you when you were five or six. Let me see your hands," John ordered. Alexandra held out her hands to him.

John took her rough, callused hands in his and examined them carefully. "I think you could do it. Your hands are strong, but the only way we will know that is if we go outside and see," John said as he grabbed his hat and they went outside.

* * *

Mandie and Samuel were setting up an archery target when Alex and her father stepped outside and into the field. Mandie stopped as soon as she saw them. John rolled up his sleeves and removed his hat as Mandie ran to them.

After squeezing Alex's hand Mandie grabbed the bow out of John's hand. Alex and John watched as she set up the arrow and let it go. They all nearly laughed as it nearly hit Samuel.

"Samuel, I'd get out of the way if I were you," Alex yelled over at him as he looked at Mandie.

"Yes Ma'am, Miss Alex. I think I will," Samuel said, scuttling off to the side to avoid any more arrows.

"Allow me," John said grabbing the bow from Mandie and shooting an arrow. John was only a little bit rusty.

"So, that's how you do it?" Alex asked as John handed the bow to her.

"More or less. Now put your hand here and you pull the arrow and the bow string with your other hand," John said, holding on to both of her hands. Alex licked her lips and followed her father's instructions.

The arrow flew straight into the bag target. "Alex, you did it!" Mandie squealed.

"How did I do that?" Alex asked, looking up at her father with a confused look on her face.

"You learn quick. Now do you want to try by yourself?" John asked.

"I guess," Alex said, grabbing an arrow out of the sling and shooting it again. The arrow was only an inch or two from the first.

"Very good. I guess I don't have to teach you too much about boss and arrows. And you thought I'd be mad because of history," John said, hugging her tightly.

"I didn't think I'd learn this quick," Alex said, handing the bow to John.

"Daddy used to say that if you can drive the arrow into the deer's heart on the target, you're ready to hunt," Mandie commented as John took another shot.

"I doubt it. The sight of blood makes me feel sick," Alex said as Mandie shot an arrow.

"You get that from your mother. I remember the first and only time I ever took her on a hunt. She nearly passed out when I came into the lodge with a rabbit and a deer on my shoulders," John said as Mandie handed the bow to Alex.

"Why am I not surprised? I just find books more enjoyable than hunting," Alex said as she took her shot.

"That is what your mother would have said. Well, it's getting late. Let's get inside. Samuel, would you take these?" John asked, holding out the bow and empty sling of arrows to the artist.

"Yes Sir. And, Miss Alex, if it means anything you are a good shot," Samuel said, taking the equipment.

"Thanks, Samuel," Alex said as they walked towards the house.

"I wonder if Uncle John can take a joke." Mandie whispered in Alex's ear as they walked behind him.

"Somehow I doubt it. He's been pretty lenient with the two of us. I don't think he'd take or like a prank," Alex said.

"I'll push him and you take his hat. Then we'll both run," Mandie said with a giggle.

"Okay, but if he kills us don't say I didn't say anything," Alex said as Mandie ran up to John and pushed him hard. Alex followed and grabbed her father's hat off his head and ran like a mad dog was chasing her.

"Come here!" John growled threateningly as he chased after them.

Alex looked behind her. Her father was a matter of 15 or 20 steps behind them. "Alex, watch out!" Mandie shouted. Alex looked front and stopped as a tree was in her path. Dropping, she rolled down the slope, fall leaves and grass meshing with her reddish-brown hair.

"Are you all right?" Her father asked his eyes full of anxious concern as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"I think so. I'd better take a bath when I get back to the house, though," Alex said, breathing hard as she gripped John's arm and he helped her to her feet.

"You'll have to pick these out first," Mandie pointed out, indicating the leaves in Alex's hair.

"No kidding," Alex said as she returned her father's hat and brushed leaves out of her hair.

"You see what happens when you tease your old father?" John asked in a teasing voice.

"Very funny. Like you never teased Grandfather and Grandmother," Alex retorted as they walked back to the house.

"I learned early never to tease your grandfather. He wasn't as easygoing when it came to teasing. But, then again I wasn't as well-behaved as you and Mandie. Me and Jim were both wild at 11 and 12. My mother was different. She was sick a good deal of the time after I was born. She just never seemed to recover from one illness or another and Jim's birth was too much for her frail body to take. She died shortly after he was born," John said as they walked to the house.

Jason stood there, his arms folded over his chest. "What happened to you, Miss Alex? You look as if you got into a leaf fight," Jason commented as he took a look at Alex.

"Pretty much, Mr. Jason. Now I had better go take a bath. I smell like every tree on the property," Alex said, walking to the front door.

"I'll send Liza to wash your hair," Jason said.

"No. I think I want to wash my own hair. I've been washing my own hair since I was four. I am not ready, or in the mood, for Liza to boast that no one washes hair like Liza Louise," Alex said as she walked up the steps. She heard Mandie snort.

"She said the same thing to you too?" Mandie asked.

"Uh-huh, but I'm gonna beat her to it," Alex said, running up to her rooma nd grabbed her robe, towels, and a clean nightdress.


	15. New Dresses and Uncle Ned's Surprise

Chapter 15- New Dresses and Uncle Ned's Surprise

**A/N: This is going to be the last part since they are now filming "Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure." When I watch that I'll know where to go since Mandie is supposed to be living with Uncle John in the books. So this will end on a cliffhanger. **

* * *

John watched as his daughter read a book in the chair that had become hers. The reading posture was starting to become familiar again as it had been her mother's. John had almost forgotten it after Laura had died.

One thing was certain. Alexandra would always have a book with her. This was the one trait she had gotten from her mother. John smiled at her as she cocked her head in a way that looked like Laura.

"The book must be really interesting," Amanda commented as Amanda's cat jumped on Alexandra's lap and meowed loudly as he batted the book with his paws.

"Mandie, get the c-a-t off of me. If he claws my mother's book I'm feeding him to Samuel's dog," Alexandra said, rubbing her eyes.

"Like you really would! I don't hear any complaints when Snowball sleeps in your room on top of your feet," Mandie scoffed.

"Well, I might change my mind. Joan of Arc changed hers when she was burned at the stake. They tried to get her to change her confession and say she was a heretic and a witch," Alexandra said, putting her book on John's oak desk as she stood.

"I thought you didn't like history," John said, twirling one of Alexandra's braids in his hand.

"I never said that, Father. I only said I have trouble remembering dates. I can remember that King Henry VIII had 6 wives; his second wife was Anne Boleyn. And his daughter, by her, was Elizabeth I. Just don't ask me the dates of the French Revolution," Alexandra said, rolling her eyes.

"You do remember more than I did when I was your age. Your grandfather hated the fact that I was slow in history. My mother used to say that everyone learns differently," John commented, wrapping his arms around Alexandra's thin shoulders and pulling her into his chest.

"Maybe. My favorite subjects are reading and geography, though. I always said I'd visit the places I read about in my books. I want to see England, France, and Spain. They sound interesting," Alexandra said, looking at John's globe beside the desk.

"Some day I'll take you and Amanda to Europe with me. Maybe next year. You two sound as if you don't mind traveling," John said with a smile as Alexandra touched the globe with her long, slender fingers.

"I don't. The Rocklin's' always said I was bouncing all over the place when we relocated to Chattanooga. I only remember going to Red Clay which is on the Georgia-Tennessee border. My mother was angry because Marcus and me got into a dirt fight and there was not a clean spot on my white pinafore. He was 15 years older, but he was a lot of fun. Whatever trouble we got into he was always there to get me out of it," Alexandra said wistfully.

"He sounds interesting. How many children did the Rocklin's have?" John asked.

"There are Marcus and Joseph above me and three little ones under me," Alexandra said, spinning the globe briefly as she blinked her eyes furiously. It took John a few minutes to realize she was trying not to cry.

"Why don't we try a little geography?" John asked, stroking Alexandra's hair gently and hoping this would take her mind off what she had lost.

"I don't know. Mr. Tallant used to say my geography was terrible," Amanda hesitated.

"We could try it," Alexandra said as John spun the globe.

"Now this would be from the trip to Europe I was supposed to take. Now we sailed to," John said as Amanda, Alexandra, and John stopped the globe with their fingers. John looked at the spot. "Hmmm. Bad weather hit us. Five of us swam to," John commented, putting his hands on his hips.

Amanda's face broke into a grin. "Cape Hatteras, where you lived in a lighthouse for a whole week," Amanda said smugly, her finger on the spot for Cape Hatteras. John laughed, pleased. "Are there crawdads in the ocean?" Amanda asked.

"Somehow I doubt it," Alexandra said with a grin as John looked thoughtful. Liza came in before John could say anything.

"Excuse me. Miss Mandie and Miss Alex's new dresses are ready. They'll be a sight to see," Liza said excitedly. Amanda and Alexandra grinned as they ran to the sewing room.

* * *

Alex stared in amazement as she looked at herself in the mirror and Liza slipped the cool mint-green dress on her. The color, as Polly and Aunt Lou had stated, was perfect for someone with red hair and it was also the first dress made for her that was silk and no one else had worn it.

Alex looked at her cousin. Mandie's dress was blue silk; perfect for someone with blonde hair. Alex's attention was drawn from her reflection to the sound of her father's voice.

After a few days her father's voice was a comfort and full of love for her. Right now it was full of humor. "I never knew it could take so long to put on two dresses," her father said, the last word trailing as he and Mr. Bond came into the sewing room and looked at Alex and Mandie. The two men and Aunt Lou smiled at Alex and Mandie. Mandie then turned and looked in the mirror. Mandie's eyes widened and she smiled as she looked at herself.

"Aunt Lou!" Mandie exclaimed as she turned slightly.

"They are perfect. I've never had a dress like this," Alex said, blinking furiously to keep from crying.

"You deserve it then, Child," Aunt Lou said as the doorbell rang loudly.

Alex and Mandie both rolled their eyes and looked at John and Jason. Liza moved to answer the door.

"Liza, if that's a stranger don't open the door. We'll endure the ringing until they go away," Jason said with humor in his eyes as he looked at Mandie and Alex, who smiled back.

"In the meantime we can go eat dinner," John said. Alex slipped her hand into her father's large hand and they walked to the dining room.

* * *

Halfway through dinner Liza came into the room in a hurry. "Mr. John, Miss Mandie, your Indian friend is here and I was sent to get y'all," Liza explained in a rush.

"Well, I suppose we should go see what he wants," John said, standing up and his two girls on either side of him.

They followed Jason to the double doors and he opened them. Ned stood there with a coach behind him. Med smiled at Amanda, John, and Alexandra and turned to the coach. John noticed then that Alexandra had grabbed his hand again. It was times like this that made him feel as if he had never lost her in the first place.

A driver helped a blonde-haired woman in a green silk dress down. John felt his breath catch sharply. Elizabeth! Amanda's eyes widened with shock as Elizabeth got closer.

It made perfect sense that Elizabeth was still alive. If her parents had lied about Amanda and said she had died then surely they could lie about their daughter too. Amanda looked at him and Alexandra before looking back at Elizabeth, who practically ran to Amanda; a look of happiness and tears on her face.

Elizabeth stopped in front of Amanda and opened her arms. Amanda all but ran into Elizabeth's arms. John looked away and down at Alexandra.

He nearly started at the look of longing in his daughter's eyes. He could tell that his girl wanted her mother to hug her like Elizabeth was hugging Amanda. He could give her books, clothes, food, and all the love a father could give, but he couldn't give her Laura; unless it was the memories he and the rest of the house had.

John squeezed her hand gently and she looked up. The unshed tears made her dark brown eyes look like river sludge. She pasted a watery smile on her face and faced forward.

Elizabeth and Amanda broke apart and Elizabeth touched Amanda's face as if it were fine porcelain. She then turned to John and extended her hand to him.

"Hello, John," Elizabeth said as John took her hand.

"Hello, Elizabeth," John said, feeling like he had 14 or 15 years ago and he had been in love with her.

Elizabeth took Amanda's hand and they all walked into the house. They had a lot to talk about; especially what had happened the day Amanda was born.

**The End**

**To be continued in "Cherokee Treasures" this autumn…**


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